THE W.E. SANDERS FOUNDATION
Honoring a beloved teacher and mentor, and those who continue his tradition.
The W.E. Sanders Foundation honors the memory of Bill Sanders, who helped us to understand what we were capable of and helped us to become that person. Bill spent a large portion of his career coaching debate at East Peoria and New Trier West High Schools. We have collaborated with Chicago Debates to fund an honorarium recognizing each year the Chicago Public School debate coach who best embodies the values that Bill lived by.
ABOUT BILL SANDERS
Bill Sanders grew up in Central Illinois. He received his BS degree from Bradley University in Peoria, where he earned a full debate scholarship, and later received an MA from Northwestern University.
Devoted to education, he taught English, Social Studies, Speech, and Debate at East Peoria Community High School from 1956-1964. During his tenure, the school went from having no debate program at all to winning a state championship.
In the spring of 1964, Bill moved to New Trier High School, where he taught Communication, Argumentation, and Debate for fourteen years, mostly at New Trier West in Northfield, Illinois, after that campus opened in 1965. While at New Trier, his debaters won several state championships and national awards.
After retiring as New Trier West’s debate coach, he continued teaching at New Trier in the English Department until 1986. Among other contributions, he was the sponsor of the school’s student government, president of the Teacher’s Association, and a student advisor. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Sanders, who also taught at New Trier West.
OUR MISSION
The discussions that led to the creation of the Foundation started at a gathering with Bill Sanders and his wife in the fall of 2016, when his health was failing.
Former students, many of whom had been in his classes and on his teams more than 40 years earlier, came from around the country to share their memories of him and the ways he had shaped their lives.
The common themes were that, beyond being an outstanding teacher and debate coach, Bill Sanders was a devoted mentor with a unique gift for seeing the full potential of each student and for working relentlessly to help each student realize the potential he saw in them. He demanded the best from his students, and was able to get them to see those possibilities as well. He fostered confidence in those who needed it, helped develop maturity and discipline in others, showed his students how to accept and appreciate constructive criticism, and taught all of his students to act “with class.” Through it all, he could laugh at the foolishness that is part of the process of growing up, while valuing and fostering the positive energy that is at the root of it. An incredibly patient, devoted, and selfless teacher, he was able to turn his students into not only better debaters but also more complete adults.
Hearing Bill Sanders repeatedly praised for what he gave to his students prompted the sponsors of the Foundation to try to find a way to share the gifts they had received from Bill, and to encourage other coaches and teachers to follow his example.
That goal is the mission of the Foundation, and we believe that the best way to do this is to honor in Bill Sanders' name a Chicago Debate League coach for his or her devotion to and skill at coaching, teaching, and assisting students to reach their full potential.
THE W.E. SANDERS AWARD
The Foundation awards $5,000 to a Chicago Debate League teacher-coach who best exemplifies the extraordinary attributes that Bill Sanders brought to coaching and teaching. These attributes, which are discussed above, are the criteria by which the awardees will be selected. The selection process begins with nominations and input from debaters, recent debate alums, and the Chicago Debate Commission staff, with the final decision to be made by the Foundation. Our coaches and teachers can never be appreciated enough, and Bill Sanders’ students know that their debt to him can never really be repaid. The goal of the Foundation is to promote the memory of this special coach and teacher by recognizing teacher-coaches who embody the values that he exemplified.
Andrew Fine
2019 Honoree
The first W.E. Sanders honoree, Andrew Fine, is the debate coach at Lane Tech High School. In addition to being our Honoree, Mr. Fine's Lane Tech team this year won the National Urban Debate Championship, for the second year in a row.
A small sample of the comments that led to his selection follows:
"I thought that after graduation I wouldn’t really keep in touch with anyone from high school but with Mr. Fine it was different. He is one of those people that you know will be in your life for a long time."
"Instead of turning away from a smart but struggling and disengaged sophomore, Mr. Fine always engaged [my child] with positivity, stubbornly reinforcing the expectation that he had limitless potential . . . [At the end of senior year, at a bonfire, my child] came to tears in thanking everyone around that fire for helping him grow into the confident and successful student he had become."
"There were multiple instances in which he called me out for my treatment of other students that still resonate with me. He tasked me and all of his students to see the humanity in everyone first and I believe I am a substantially better person today because of him."
"Mr. Fine is one of the finest human beings that has ever graced my life."
JOYCE HARDUVEL
2020 Honoree
Joyce Harduvel, the 2020 Sanders honoree, is a Social Worker at Earle STEM Academy, in Chicago's Englewood community, and has been the debate coach at Kenwood high school on the south-side of Chicago since 2017. Under Joyce's leadership, Kenwood had 28 debaters participating in tournaments last year. Her debaters reach the semifinal and final rounds at almost every tournament in every division they compete in, and one of Joyce’s debaters was named a finalist for Debater of the Year by the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues this year.
Among the comments supporting Joyce's nomination for the award:
“Instead of coaching at a school for better pay, Joyce chose to coach an urban and less funded team. I think it is undeniable that Joyce has made countless teammates of mine as well as me love debate and feel exceptionally more confident about myself.”
“Joyce has had such an undeniable impact on my life.”
"[The] conversations I had with her about life, strategy, [and] confidence have changed me."
"She works hard so that the kids she inspires and mentors can succeed."
Gregory Caswell
2021 Honoree
Greg Caswell is the debate coach at Amundsent High School located between the Ravenswood, Lincoln Square, and Andersonville neighborhoods in Chicago. In addition to coaching debate, he teaches Theory of Knowledge in Amundsen's IP Diploma Programme and General Music. He also sponsors Amundsen's Honor Chamber Ensemble.
Students who nominated him reported that:
"Mr. Caswell is the kindest, most forgiving, and patient coach/teacher you could ever ask for. ... He encourages us to take on challenges, even when they seem daunting, because he wholly believes the experience and feedback we take away from it will makes us grow as human beings and build our character. He has a strong connection with the team as a coach by lighting up the mood, making jokes, and celebrating our successes, small or big."
"After my first tournament as a freshman, I almost quit the team due to how lost I felt, but Mr. Caswell pointed out all of the things I learned and inspired me to continue with the club. He told me that learning through experience is the best way to learn, and even if I finished in the bottom quarter of the tournament, I had learned more than I could have from the comfort of my house."
A week before a debate tournament "I suffered a mental breakdown of sorts. I was stressed about schoolwork and homework, grades, friendships, and seemingly any little thing. ... I made the difficult decision to drop out of the tournament. ... I sent two very long, and very apologetic emails to Mr. Caswell, explaining in detail why I dropped out and why I was so, so sorry. In my heightened state of panic, it was hard for me to think of anything but absolute failure. The next day, I got an email from him. ...He told me that it wouldn't matter if I never debated again. It wouldn't matter if I never won a tournament. It wouldn't matter if I quit debate forever, because according to him, I would always be a hard-working, smart, and successful student, both in debate and in the regular classroom. I can't tell you how much it meant that a teacher really, really meant what they said, with such grace and empathy."
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Robert Edwards
2022 Honoree
Bob Edwards coacnes debate at Phoenix STEM Military Academy in the West Jackson Boulevard Neighborhood of Chicago. He has been active as a debate coach for 20 years. In addition to coaching the Debate Team, he chairs the English Departmnt and teaches English III and AP English and Composition. More than 250 students have participated in Debate Teams coached by Mr. Edwards. His debaters have included the recipients of scholarships to The University of Kenucky, Cornell University, and Northwestern Univerity. Beyond debate and school, Mr. Edwards is also a martial arts practitioner, gardner, and open mic poet.
Among the many comments supporting his nomination are the following:
Every debate tournament, every debate practice, every debate accomplishment he has been there. Even at the worst times for him he would still show up. Coaching his 2020-2021 debate team he logged into a Google Meet on a hospital bed while being treated for COVID-19. [Another time] he stayed so late at school gathering books and material for the online classes that he ended up being locked in ... . Mr. Edwards has a very good sense of humor and no matter what is happening he will find a way to bring a smile to your face every day just in time. He helps define characters within each and every one of us, whether it be as a teacher or as a coach. His stories are also another rare finding. ... These stories are like morals or legends. The more he speaks the more we learn. Mr. Edwards has helped us all grow into the people we have become and that is something we all should appreciate and thank him for.
Mr. Edwards means a lot to me. He was the first person that accepted my sexuality and the first person to call me out of some things that were holding me down with my studies. ... [Without him I] wouldn't be able to be completely comfortable in my skin. ...
Mr. Edwards serves as a role model and inspiration to all of us. For his students, he was always someone to be able to talk to and very accepting. He once even adopted a student and raised them as his own daughter. His students and debaters mean the world to him as he does to us.
He's committed and goes beyond his responsibilities as teacher/coach for all of us students. ... There's not a student I know, in any grade, that doesn't appreciate the enviroment we have once we enter Edwards' classroom. ... He has debated since he was young and has coached the longest in the whole city. He doesn't just teach us technique and help us with debate work, but shares experience with us. He makes time to talk to us, to let us know he felt the challenges we are facing now, and he'll be with us all the way.
Ray Salazar
2023 Honoree
Ray Ray Salazar
On his web page, Ray Salazar describes himself as a "proud Southwest Side resident" who has taught in the Chicago schools for close to 30 years. Since 2011, Mr. Salazar has taught at the Southwest Side's Hancock College Preparatory, a few blocks from Midway Airport. In that role, Mr. Salazar describes himself as an "educator dedicated to amplifying student voice." In addition to Debate, he teaches AP English and Journalism, and sponsors the student newspaper and its podcast club. Mr. Salazar began coaching debate only 7 years ago, when he agreed to lead the revival of Hancock's debate program. Mr. Salazar has explained his coaching philosophy in a web post: "I don’t coach my students to 'spread.' I teach them to comprehend, to listen, to expand ideas that connect. These are the life-long skills that will help students as they go on in life." In another post he amplifies: “So much of debate is not about winning or losing, but about getting up there with confidence and engaging with others in an intellectual way. That carries so much value.” Outside of school, Mr. Salazar is a dedicated father, a prolific and widely publlished author, and a record holding powerlifter.
The many nominations proposing Mr. Salazar for the Sanders Award included the following:
I am now a freshman at Harvard University, and I can confidently say that [Mr. Salazar's] lessons have been a powerful force in my journey towards and throughout higher education. When I began to participate in tournaments, debating against students at highly resourced high schools was a struggle that discouraged me... . [Mr. Salazar] taught me to navigate these spaces with my head held high. ... [His] mentorship was a leading factor in my decision to apply to Harvard despite the odds. Now nearing the end of my first year at Harvard, the impact of Raymond Salazar’s commitment to uplifting students in all that they do remains a significant part of the guiding principles that both uplift me and drive me to provide this same support to other students that resonate with experiences similar to mine.
To me, Mr. Salazar has opened up a world of endless possibilities. He had invited me to join the Debate team as he thought I would succeed. I gave it a shot and before I knew it, I ended up loving it. He knew what my future career goals were and reminded me of how debating can benefit me in my career and life in general. ... I now use the skills that he has taught us in debate practice in my writing and conversational skills. ... Mr. Salazar ... changes his students' lives by providing them with this space to share their thoughts and voices freely.
Mr.Salazar is the personifiation of the word leadership. He is a man who never gives up and preaches determination to his students. He uses his 20+ years of journalism and teaching experience to help the debate team come up with holistic arguments that are impenetrable by other teams. Mr.Salazar is a coach who succeeds with the cards he was dealth with. He boosts morales of students with his humor, and he teaches students patience by encouranging them to fail. Mr.Salazar says it best, "you will never learn if you never fail".
In his journey reviving the Hancock debate team, [Mr.] Salazar reached out to a significant number of students including myself. For many of us, joining the debate team seemed out of reach given a variety of issues regarding imposter syndrome, trouble with public speaking, and overall lack of visibility of Southside schools in the broader Chicago debate community. [Mr.] Salazar tackled this issue ... and has succeeded in putting together wonderful groups of Hancock debaters for many years now. Through passion driven encouragement and mentorship, Raymond Salazar has brought countless students out of their shell. ... Throughout my time as a Hancock debater, I witnessed the countless hours Raymond Salazar would dedicate to finding videos, articles, and activities to aid students in public speaking. I witnessed the countless hours he dedicated to walking students through much of the complicated language and theory included in cases. Above all, I witnessed the genuine care that Raymond Salazar truly feels and exhibits towards every single one of his students.
Victoria Yonter
2024 Honoree
Victoria Yonter grew up in rural Missouri. She is the debate coach at Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center, a high school in Chicago's North Park neighborhood. This year, Ms. Yonter became the first coach for Von Steuben's debate team. As is evident from the comments summarized below, she was able to profoundly enrich the lives of her students and she made the commitment to do so notwithstanding the challenges posed by dealing with treatment for breast cancer. Her involvement with the Von Steuben squad, continued a life long committment to debate. She debated through four years of high school and four years of college and has remained active in policy debate ever since. She received her bachelors degree from the University of Georgia (double majoring in economics and mathematics), studied at Oxford University in England, and earned her MEd from Chicago's Depaul University.
Among the many nominations supporting her candidacy, are the following:
She ... is able to see more in me than I can see in myself. She does this for everyone in our debate team, individually and as a group, which has led to our success and made us into the best versions of ourselves.
I have this thing that I do in the mornings on my way to class. I'll come from the other side of the school on the 1st floor dropping off my friends. I have to make my way around to the other side of the building to get to my 1st period class. And everyday without fail, I am always late, but, I always stop and make sure I talk to Yonter. It's a running gag at this point that I'm always late to first period, but I get to see her so I don't even care.
She was there for me when no other adults would be. Yonter has this incredible energy when she's with the team that makes everyone passionate about debate and all comfortable with each other. I have told this woman literally my deepest secrets and I honestly trust her with my life, even though we've known each other for less than a year.
She sees the well-being of all CPS students as her responsibility. Once, when my father was far and couldn't pick me up, Ms. Yonter stayed in the cold, dark night full of dangers just to make sure I was safe and could get home safely. Despite the immense cold, she never left until transportation had come. She had done this for many students just to make sure of their well-being. Ms. Yonter is a core member of the debate community. All students participating in CDL have learned to adore her enthusiasm. Anywhere Ms. Yonter goes, she leaves a positive mark on the place, and she truly deserves this award.
LEARN HOW TO HELP
After six years, we are happy to report that we are about 85% of the way to our goal of collecting enough money to permanently fund the WE Sanders Award. We are also happy to report that none of the money received in contributions has been spent on expenses — all services have been volunteered and all expenses (e.g., filing fees, trophies) have been paid out of pocket by the Foundation’s board members.
Our challenge going forward is to raise the remaining funds needed to hit our goal when we have already contacted every debate student of Mr. Sanders that we have been able to locate. If you have already donated and can donate again, please do. If you know someone else who might be willing to donate, please let us know. And thanks for your support!
If you are interested in helping, please contact us.
773-983-7003 or 415-318-1221