Portable Skills Series

How does a background in speech and debate lead to a career in bioethics, and a decision between Harvard and Yale Law? We spoke with Danielle Pacia about how argumentation, advocacy, and communication have shaped her path. Her story highlights the long-term value of the skills students build in this activity.

You’ve worked at the Hastings Center doing bioethics research, how has that work shaped the way you think about argumentation, communication, or advocacy today?

Presenting a speech or talk and actually being involved in the nuts and bolts of research are two very different skill sets. When I did speech and debate, I took the results of studies for granted. For example, at any given time, we can pull up a Pew Research poll, read the quick summary, and understand what the study found. However, actually designing survey research and structured interview studies has given me a newfound appreciation of the labor that goes into “knowledge production.” One study can take 1, 3, or even 10 years to complete, so I have a deeper gratitude today than I did during my undergraduate education for researchers who pour their time into making sure we can truly understand the world around us beyond anecdotal observations. Along similar lines, I’ve grown to value the art of communication more than ever before—and, by extension, advocacy—because someone has to translate these important findings to the public, and researchers are rarely the best messengers.

From speech in high school to speech in undergrad to your work now, what’s stayed constant about the role of speaking and debate in your life? What’s changed?

By far, the most important skill speech and debate taught me was how to be healthily self-critical. I think that skill really separates highly competitive speech and debaters from the rest. My coaches in high school and college helped me develop that skill through purposeful practice and drafting sessions, pouring over judges’ comments for hours, and adjusting my speech accordingly. That skill has translated into every facet of my life. Speech and debate taught me to be process-driven and self-assessing. Whether it’s marathon training or analyzing study results, at every stage, I find myself pausing to ask, “What am I missing?” “What are some critiques or missed opportunities here?” “Do I actually understand the subject matter I’m writing about, or should I ask for help?”

Now, it’s been nearly 6 or 7 years since I competed in speech and debate, and my perspective on the competitive aspect has shifted. In high school, I had a wonderful coach, Suzanne Terry, who taught us, “You won’t remember your trophies; you’ll remember the people.” I believed her then, but I understand her point much more deeply now when I reflect on my time in the activity. Beyond the trophies, just being able to compete with such intelligent, talented people and watch their performances was a blessing. I took for granted how much I learned every weekend from my brilliant peers and coaches. 

You're currently deciding between Yale and Harvard Law — two incredible paths. How are you thinking through that decision, and what kind of impact do you hope to make through law?

Growing up in a medically underserved area, I’ve always been passionate about supporting healthcare access and alleviating health inequities. I hope to find ways—through policy, research, or litigation—to improve the state of health in the U.S. I entered the field of bioethics (the study of ethics applied to health policy, research, and care) to gain greater clarity and understanding of healthcare inequality in this country. Now, I feel ready to move toward more impact-driven work through law.

At this point, I’m largely choosing law schools based on “fit” in terms of health law and policy resources. I also went to Harvard for my master’s degree, so some people have suggested I consider whether I want to return to those prior connections or make new ones at Yale. But I hear New Haven pizza is fantastic so I would be lying if I said that wasn’t being factored into my decision making…

I feel very blessed to have this decision to make; both programs are outstanding, so I’m not too stressed too much about it!

You’re originally from Tennessee and now live in New York — how has that journey across spaces, communities, and cultures shaped your voice and your perspective?

I was a first-generation Filipino growing up in a town that was deeply proud of its Appalachian roots. I don’t fully grasp how this relatively unique experience shaped my life, perhaps because I tend to find most people's stories equally distinct. Whenever I hear someone share their "life story" or "upbringing," I often find myself thinking, "Wow, that’s unique and fascinating."

I’ll try to keep my answer straightforward and say that, overall, I think it has made me a pretty understanding person. I’ve been fortunate enough to live in very different places—rural, suburban, and urban—all across the East Coast. While people are, of course, incredibly similar in all these places, they are also quite different due to their varied upbringings. One thing I’ll always carry with me is a deep desire to understand people’s perspectives, even when I strongly disagree with them. These views aren’t likely to be something someone just decided on one day; they’re informed by their life story, socio-economic status, education, and family background. I’m trying to get better at asking follow-up questions rather than immediately firing back a pithy, Instagrammable response when I disagree—especially in person-to-person interactions.

What advice would you give to a young debater who loves argument, communication, and advocacy, but doesn’t yet know where it might take them?

I’d say start with reading. It sounds simple, but in the age of social media and easily accessible factoids, reading—and really immersing yourself in an article or a book, not just quickly skimming—is incredibly valuable. Don’t get me wrong, those fact sheets and condensed summaries are great for some purposes, but making reading a habit is the best way to develop your communication, writing, and argumentation skills. For anyone interested in advocacy work, there are countless books and activist scholars’ works that are essential reading.

In short, read as much as you can, even if it’s fiction. It’s easy to think you know a lot. But it's far more worthwhile and valuable to feel comfortable with the fact that any given person probably knows only a very tiny fraction (if even that) of the world’s information, and that we’ll be chasing clarity and knowledge for the rest of our lives.