They'd Never Debated Before This Year. Then They Beat Vanderbilt at Nationals.

In their first-ever national competition, RRCC debate students Steven Bruno and Janessa Chidester finished fifth out of 27 teams in the novice division — beating the U.S. Air Force Academy, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Denver along the way.  

They were the only community college team in the league and neither student had ever debated before joining the Red Rocks Community College team. Steven, a Navy veteran, had been on the team for about two semesters. Janessa joined less than four months ago after seeing a flyer.

They were hooked on debate immediately, and both are thrilled they got to go to nationals.

“At first, I was nervous, but then I got a point and I realized, this is no different than anything else. I can do this,” Janessa said. “It was so rewarding and such a fun experience.”

The new RRCC debate team started last year with funding support from the President’s Dream Grant. The funding allowed four students, and their advisor Tracey Mahoney, to travel to the national competition in South Carolina at the end of March.

Steven and Janessa placed fifth over a few days of competition, beating teams from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Vanderbilt University and the University of Denver, among others, to reach the semifinals.  

“It was really important and meaningful to us to be able to flip the competitive paradigm,” Steven said. “You don’t have to be from a traditional four-year university. I like proving people wrong. Community college is great.”

Mahoney, Department Chair for Communications, Humanities and World Languages, said the team has her bursting with pride. And the whole school is sharing the feeling.

“They performed exceptionally well and represented RRCC with professionalism and skill on the national stage,” Mahoney said.  

Steven is now at RRCC studying history, said that in addition to everything else, the debate team, and competing at nationals is giving him new leadership skills.

“I’m a bit older than other students, but this experience really solidified my leadership style for me,” Steven said. “I really want to support everyone. This ... cemented that ... We should uplift each other.”

As team president, Steven guided his teammates through the good and bad moments, focusing on how great everyone did, what could be learned from their experience, and purposely learning from watching other teams.  

Outside the debate stage, Steven says he finds himself more open to discussions, and confident in offering a differing opinion. One of his long-term goals after college is to help amplify the voices of other Asian American veterans, like himself.

Then there’s the work-ethic and discipline that the team is also helping him and Janessa refine.

Both say that debate takes hours of practice and preparation. But planning it carefully, both Steven and Janessa are proud to say they are getting A’s in all of their courses this year.  

Janessa is studying philosophy and communication and is thinking about either becoming a lawyer or a professor. In either case, she says debate is giving her relevant public speaking skills that have also made it into her discussions with her parents.

For Janessa, being on debate and going to nationals also helped her find new friends and build a community that she wasn’t always sure she was going to find in college.  

“I know if I see those other girls from the other teams, we’re going to talk again,” Janessa said. “It’s a great community.”

Steven and Janessa also feel they were able to perform well as a team because they have developed a good friendship. They can finish each other’s sentences. And in debate, they say they have different complimentary skills.

Janessa says she lives for whip speeches – the final closing speeches in the parliamentary style of debate they follow. Steven adds “She’s vicious,” as they both smile proudly and laugh.

Besides their exceptional performance at the nationals competition, the broader debate team also recently attended the Holbrook Cup at MSU Denver where Janessa and Erin Yeingst, another student team member, were recognized for their performance in the preliminary.

And Mahoney, who served as a judge for some of the Cup’s rounds, was named the 2026 Gary Holbrook Colorado Debate Coach of the Year.

“It has been a very good inaugural year,” Mahoney said.

Both Steven and Janessa now want to inspire others to get out of their shells, join their debate team, or speak up.  

“Even if you don’t think you have the skills, if you have the passion, and something you want to say, go after it,” Steven said.  

Despite her passion to debate various topics, on this, Janessa agreed. “I want other people to realize they can do it too.”