Kate'lynn Shaw is a passionate policy debater with a strong focus on critical argumentation, Black feminist thought, and advocacy-centered debate. Over the course of her debate career, she has consistently championed arguments rooted in lived experience, interdisciplinary scholarship, and anti-oppressive frameworks.Kate'lynn has competed on both local and national circuits, qualifying for the Tournament of Champions and reaching elimination rounds at major national invitationals. Her affirmatives often engage literature from authors like Saidiya Hartman and Hortense Spillers, highlighting themes of fugitivity, racialized gender, and the limits of liberal recognition. She is known for her innovative research practices, deeply grounded theoretical frameworks, and persuasive speaking style. In addition to her competitive success, Kate'lynn has experience coaching novice and JV debaters through her school’s mentorship program and local debate camps. She emphasizes cultivating student voice, argument diversity, and confidence in critical and performance-based debate. Her coaching philosophy encourages students to engage deeply with the world around them, read generously, and challenge traditional norms within the activity. Katelynn specializes in teaching critical policy debate (kritiks, performance, and policy/critical hybrids), with a strong emphasis on research development and affirmative construction. She is particularly passionate about helping students build affirmatives that are both strategic and personally meaningful. Katelynn is attending The University of Kansas where she plans to major in African American Studies with a concentration in Black feminist praxis and methodology.