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- My name is Drake Pugh.

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I'm from the Bay area
of California.

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Born in San Mateo,
raised in Union City.

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The community college that
I went to was Chabot College

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in Hayward, California.

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I ended up applying to Wiley
because a friend of mine

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had actually told the debate
team here at Wiley

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about myself considering
that I was a national champion

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in high school.

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And the coach called me
offering a scholarship.

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After some time thinking
I actually had to talk

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to my English teacher
at Chabot College

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because she went to an HBCU.

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I told her about the opportunity
and she was telling me

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that it's something that you
really shouldn't pass up.

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So I became captain
of the Wiley debate team

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when I got here the spring
of my freshman year.

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Actually the main way
that the debate team here

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at Wiley got restarted
was because Denzel Washington

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and Oprah decided that they were
going to make a movie

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called "The Great Debaters."

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I'm pretty sure most of y'all
have hopefully seen it.

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If not, go watch a great movie.

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Denzel decided after doing
his part

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that he was going
to donate $1 million

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just to start back up the team
to get students to come here,

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to get scholarships going
for the team.

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So this way it could continue
its tradition of being one

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of the best debate teams.

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The quality of education here
at Wiley is...

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it's opened my eyes.

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It has helped me realize
that regardless where you go

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you are in charge
of your own education.

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Seeing things like some students
not going to class

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and so many others going
and knowing the ones

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that are going are the ones
who are passing,

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are the ones who are trying
to make sure

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that they better themselves.

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They're trying to go somewhere.

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They're trying to make sure
that they do justice

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for not only themselves
but everyone who helped them

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get here.

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The one thing that I would
have to make sure

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I tell students who think
about transferring

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from California to an HBCU
is that they care.

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They honestly care about you.
They care about your wellbeing.

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They care about you as a student
and as a person.

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Actually once I graduate from
here I'm thinking about going

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to pursue a Master's degree
in theatre.