Our Team

Co-Founders

Amanda An, co-founder and co-president of the American Philosophical Youth Society. A nonprofit organization dedicated to helping youth with public speaking, debate, and philosophy.

Amanda An

Amanda An started her Public Speaking journey in 3rd grade, where she tried Speech through Storytelling and Impromptu. Within a year, she placed 1st place twice in both formats. Later on, she tried debate through Parliamentary and World Schools Debate (WSD), placing multiple times in national and international tournaments. Outside of debate, Amanda likes to read philosophy books and go on walks.

Notable Achievements:

  • 1st Place in 14th Annual California State in World Schools Debate (2024)

  • 2nd Place in Malaysia’s JWSDC in World Schools Debate (2024)

  • 3rd Place in Harvard Debate Council International Championships in World Schools (2025)

Ellie Mui, co-founder and co-president of the American Philosophical Youth Society. A nonprofit organization dedicated to helping youth with public speaking, debate, and philosophy.

Ellie Mui

Ellie Mui is a passionate debater who has won multiple titles, including first place at UC Berkeley and third place at UCLA in Parliamentary debate. She thrives best in competitive settings, where her sharp thinking and strong communication skills stand out. Beyond debate, Ellie enjoys reading romantic novels and playing badminton with her brother.

Notable Achievements:

  • 1st Place in the Berkeley International High School Parliamentary Debate Invitational in Parliamentary Debate (2024)

  • 1st Place in the 14th Annual California State in World Schools Debate (2024)

  • 2nd Place Debater & 5th Place Individual Speakers in Cal Parli (UC Berkeley) Invitational in Parliamentary Debate (2024)

CTO of the American Philosophical Youth Society. A nonprofit organization dedicated to helping youth with public speaking, debate, and philosophy.

Chief Technology Officer

Ethan Shu

Ethan Shu is a front-end developer with experience in delivering responsive, user-friendly websites for various organizations. He's familiar with sites such as Squarespace and WordPress. Moreover, he knows some HTML and Javascript. At APYS, he guides the organization's digital strategy, making sure the site remains optimized, secure, and true to the team's vision.

Joy Goh, debate coach of the American Philosophical Youth Society. A nonprofit organization dedicated to helping youth with public speaking, debate, and philosophy.

Debate Coach

Joy Goh

Joy is a very experienced and accomplished debater; she has gone through many tournaments such as Harvard Forensics, World Scholars Cup, and securing a championship title at UC Berkeley. She specializes in congressional debate and is also proficient in Impromptu speaking, SPAR, and various speech and debate formats. Outside of debate, Joy likes reading philosophical books that challenge her perspective. She also has a passion for art, particularly drawing portraits.

Notable Achievements:

  • 1st Place in UC Berkeley’s Middle School Congress

  • Semifinalist at Harvard Forensics in Congress

  • 5th Place out of more than 1,000 students in the World Scholar’s Cup’s writing division

Keji Yuan, debate coach of the American Philosophical Youth Society.

Debate Coach

Keji Yuan

Keji is a jack-of-all-trades debater who has won awards in a variety of formats, including Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum, Impromptu, and Extemporaneous speaking. As a coach, he emphasizes strong speaking skills, logical reasoning, and effective communication and persuasion. Outside of speech and debate, he thrives at swimming and is a dedicated fan of the soccer club Arsenal and the Formula 1 team Ferrari.

Notable Achievements:

  • Co-Champion, Undefeated in Stephen Stewart Memorial Invitational in Lincoln Douglas (2024)

  • Co-Champion in Harvard Debate International Tournaments May in Public Forum (2024)

  • 3rd Place in CMSF Middle School State Championship in Extemporaneous Speech (2024)

Debate Coach

Arya Khajuria

Arya Khajuria is a knowledgeable debater with expertise of over 2 years in specifically Public Forum. She has pursued several forms of speech and debate over the past four years, honing her confidence and speaking skills, even touching upon Congressional Debate. Apart from debate, she enjoys programming with her robotics team and playing volleyball during her leisure time.

Notable Achievements:

  • Quarterfinalist & 2nd Place Individual Speakers in the Philhistorian invitational Bay Area Championship in Public Forum (2025)

  • 2 Years + Member of Basis Independent Silicon Valley’s Debate Club

  • 4 Years of Experience in various Speech and Debate Formats