2025 PFI Team

Yuvaan Kaneri (OO, 11)

Junior Director '25

Hey guys! My name is Yuvaan, a rising junior at North Allegheny High School. I am thrilled to be directing and teaching PFI this year! In Speech & Debate, I  mainly do Persuasive Speaking, but have experience with Informative, Impromptu, HI, and Storytelling. I taught O.O. at PFI last year and look forward to teaching the camp again!

Sanjeev Arora (LD, 11)

Junior Director '25

Sanjeev is a rising junior at North Allegheny. He's been in the speech and debate world for a few years, and has broken at several varsity national tournaments, semi-finaled the state championship, and this year qualified to the national championship. After having taught LD to a few of his district's middle schools over the past year, as well as PFI last summer, he's looking forward to another great two weeks teaching the next generation of speech and debaters!

Alicia Gasana (Interp, 12)

Senior Director '24, '25

Hi, I’m Alicia—a nationally ranked speech and debate competitor who’s grown up in the world of speech events! I’ve been fortunate to place 2nd at the 2025 PHSSL State Championship and final at GMU’s 2023 Patriot Games to name a few. More than awards, I value the growth and storytelling that speech offers. As a Senior PFI Director, I’m here to help students find confidence, connection, and joy through performance. 

Angela Wei (LD, 12)

Senior Director '24, '25

Hi everyone! I’m Angela, a Lincoln-Douglas debater at North Allegheny going into my 4th year of debate. I’m super excited to be a PFI director and instructor this year and meet all of our campers! In my free time, I like listening to music and hanging out with friends.

Ishani Aluguvelli (PF, 11)

Hi everyone, my name is Ishani Aluguvelli. I’m a rising junior at NA. I’m so excited to be your Public Forum instructor for PFI this summer. I’ve done debate for 2 years and it’s my favorite hobby! Looking forward to meeting you all.

Vijay Nagarajan (PF, 11)

Hi, my name is Vijay Nagarajan, and I am incredibly excited to teach at the Pittsburgh Forensics institute. I primarily compete in Public Forum and Policy debate. Across the past 2 years, I have placed top 4 at states in policy debate, placed top 16 at the Grand National for the National Catholic Forensics League, and I championed the United States of America Forensics Olympiad. I look forward to teaching with all of you!

Aayushi Vardhan (PF, 11)

Hi! I’m Aayushi Vardhan, a rising junior at North Allegheny. After five years of debating and reaching milestones like a PF state semifinal and a top-8 finish at the International Public Policy Forum, I’ve gained a lot from debate, and I’m excited to share the skills I’ve been able to develop. Teaching PF this summer feels like the perfect way to help others find their voice too!

Evan Chen (LD, 11)

Evan Chen is a rising junior at Shady Side Academy with three years of debate experience. He currently serves as an officer in the debate team and is an active participant in the Lincoln-Douglas debate community. Evan enjoys discussing politics and philosophy, and in his free time, he plays tennis, studies Russian, and spends time with friends.

Emma Di Domenico (Congress, 12)

Hi everyone! My name is Emma, and I'm a rising senior! I have done Model UN since 9th grade, and this year, I was my school's Model UN president.  Additionally, I recently founded my school's chapter of the National High School Law Review, which is a program that teaches students how to effectively debate the principles of constitutional law and Supreme Court cases. I enjoy helping others find a love for public speaking because it is such an empowering skill to have that can be utilized to inspire or persuade others. In my free time, I enjoy learning about and reading Spanish literature as well as historical fiction novels.

Mihir Harinath (Congress, 11)

Hey guys, my name is Mihir Harinath and I’m excited to teach congressional debate at the Pittsburgh Forensics Institute! Some personal anecdotes about myself are that I have participated in Congress for 4 years, from 7th-10th grade, and I also placed 5th at the Grand National for the National Catholic Forensics League. I’m looking forward to teaching you all, and am prepared to engage in fun and enriching activities!

Nikhil Menon (Extemp, 11)

Hey everyone! My name is Nikhil Menon, but everyone just calls me Nik. I will be one of your instructors in Extemporaneous Speaking. I moved here from Dubai my freshman year but started competing in speech and debate during my sophomore year where I finished 2nd in the State for Extemp. I’m looking forward to teaching you all and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

Rishi Prasanna (Extemp, 12)

Hi! I'm Rishi Prasanna and I’m an Extemp event leader in the North Allegheny Speech and Debate Team. I was a state finalist and made it to NCFLs and NSDAs in extemp. I enjoy helping others grow and improve their skills. 

Vamshi Singari (Extemp, 12)

Hi! I'm a speech and debate event leader at North Allegheny with experience in Extemp, Commentary, and Impromptu. I won 2nd in Commentary and 3rd in impromptu in the state. I love helping others learn and improve their skills. I also love origami and exploring astronomy!

Eve Amendola (OO, 12)

My name is Eve and I am going to be a senior! I am currently the District Champion in Original Oratory and Dramatic Interpretation, and am so excited for the opportunity to teach at PFI this year! In my free time, I love to write songs, paint, and make videos.

Sophia Huang (OO, 10)

 I have been a speech and debate member for three years, two of which were spent in Original Oratory. I wanted to teach PFI mostly to experience new things and positions. My hobbies are reading and listening to music.

Arnav Deokule (Interp, 10)

Hi guys! I'm Arnav, and I've been involved in Speech and Debate for two years, primarily competing in Prose Interpretation. I'm excited to teach because I love helping students find their speaking spirit and building their confidence. Outside of speech, I enjoy playing soccer, the piano, and singing. 

Samhitha Ganesan (Interp, 12)

Hi! I'm a part of the North Allegheny Speech and Debate team, where I competed in Impromptu and Interp events and finaled States in Storytelling. Outside of that, I'm passionate about dance, love reading, and enjoy volunteering at a retirement home. I hope to help students explore their event, and grow as successful speakers through PFI. 

Julia Miller (Interp, 12)

Hi! I'm Julia, a rising senior and captain of the Seton LaSalle Catholic High School speech team. I'm a three-time qualifier to PHSSLs and NCFLs and even made it to the Tournament of Champions this year! I have experience in duo, prose, poetry, and declamation, and I also do theater. This will be my first year instructing, but I'm so excited to work with PFI this year and look forward to an amazing camp!