Soteria Reid serves as the Associate Director of Programs & Organizational Development for the Nashville Urban Debate League. A NUDL alumna, she grew up in East Nashville and attended Meigs Middle School and Hume-Fogg High School, where she competed in policy debate. As a student, Soteria worked to expand access to debate by helping launch a middle school debate team at Meigs and developing NUDL's first free summer debate camp for middle school students. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University. In her free time, she enjoys reading, trying new sports and activities, and spending time with friends and family. 

Why Debate? 

Debate taught me how to think critically, speak confidently, and see the world through multiple lenses. As a policy debater, I found a space that rewarded curiosity, courage, and hard work—but I also saw how access shaped opportunity. The skills and experiences I gained through debate opened doors that changed the course of my life. As a high school student, I worked to expand access to those same opportunities by helping launch MNPS's first middle school debate team at Meigs and developing NUDL's first free summer debate camp for middle school students. Nearly ten years later, I am honored to return to NUDL in a new role. I believe debate gives young people more than a competitive edge; it gives them a voice. It teaches them how to build and defend ideas, engage thoughtfully across difference, and imagine new possibilities for themselves and their communities. My goal is to help ensure that more students across Nashville have the opportunity to experience the same transformative impact that debate had on me.