Kaitlyn Duarte
Computer science major uses debate to challenge herself
Kaitlyn Duarte is a senior at Whitworth University, a computer science major and an accomplished member of the speech and debate team. Duarte’s journey through Whitworth has been marked with friendships and challenges, all combining to help her become who she is today and who she strives to one-day be.
Meet Kat:
Growing up in Silverdale, WA, a navy town, Duarte started going by the nickname “Kat” and it has stuck ever since. Because of Silverdale’s connection with the Navy, Duarte has consistently been around engineering and has grown up gearing her mind towards a career revolving around math and science. Her mom was a bio-chemistry major while her dad dealt with mainly math and science in his job. Because her parents believed the public-school system in Silverdale did not have a strong enough emphasis on math and science, Duarte was homeschooled throughout elementary and middle school along with her 3 siblings.
Originally planning on being an architect, Duarte realized it “wasn’t for her” once she got to Whitworth and started participating in classes. She then switched to mechanical engineering but always had an interest in computer science. When an advisor told her that she probably wouldn’t be successful in computer science, she took it as a challenge and switched majors. Because of her upbringing in an engineering-minded community, Duarte always knew that she wanted to end up in some sort of a management position. After attending a conference for Latinas in Computer Science her freshmen year, she was able to market with a representative from Google which ultimately led her to becoming an intern at Google.
Why Debate?
Duarte’s interest in debate came from an unexpected source. Being a computer science major and openly math and science oriented, she never thought she would take an interest in the forensics team. She had been given the opportunity to do a ten-minute sales pitch while at a high school event, but never had considered public speaking as something she would be good at.
“I decided to join the team on a whim,” Duarte said. “I am very glad that I did. Debate has helped to round out my skills.”
Duarte’s interest came while touring Whitworth for the first time and the tour guide mentioned the debate team. Upon arriving in the dorms freshmen year she quickly became friends with members of the team. During dinner, they began debating topics for fun and Duarte joined in. Duarte officially joined the team her sophomore year.
“Debate has shown me that convictions you may have can easily change,” Duarte said. “You never know what side you’ll be debating from. It gives you a new respect and understanding for all opinions.”
Debate has helped Duarte become a better public speaker and ultimately broaden her horizons when it comes to knowing what skills she possesses and are able to use. Duarte will be starting a job after graduation as an analyst at Google Inc.
