Varun Kota
Director of Ascend Middle School Debate
Varun Kota is the Director of Ascend Middle School Debate. Originally from California, he has over a decade of experience as a debate coach. From 2016-2019, he coached John F. Kennedy High School, transforming a program with no notable prior success into one that produced NSDA and Tournament of Champions winners. He now coaches at the Packer Collegiate Institute.
In 2019, Varun co-founded Ascend Speech & Debate. Since 2019, under his leadership, Ascend has coached over 1,000 students, produced more Tournament of Champions winners in Congressional Debate this decade than any other program, and helped students earn admission to elite universities including Harvard, Stanford, and Yale.
Varun graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and is an MBA at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. Prior to Stanford, Varun worked for 5 years in financial services at Morgan Stanley & Blackstone. He is an also an investor on the Education Deal Team at the Stanford GSB Impact Fund. Outside of coaching, Varun enjoys international travel and supporting non-profits (he has spearheaded ~$75k in charitable giving to two NYC-based non-profits).
Aditya Chordiya
Head of Instruction at Ascend Middle School Debate
Aditya Chordiya serves as the Head of Instruction for Ascend Middle School Debate. He leads curriculum design, instructional quality, and day-to-day coaching for middle school students. He also serves as Chief Operating Officer of Ascend Speech & Debate, ensuring that Ascend’s programs are academically rigorous, well-structured, and supportive of student growth.
A three-time Ascend alumnus, Aditya brings both competitive and instructional experience to his work with students. As a 4-year competitor, he was an NSDA finalist, a Harvard finalist, and the champion of Ascend’s Speech & Debate Camp Tournament. Additionally, he coaches the James Logan High School Speech & Debate Team.
Aditya has coached the 2025 and 2024 California State Champions, the 2025 Tournament of Champions runner-up, the 2025 Harvard Round Robin Champion, and multiple NSDA and Harvard finalists. He has also led instructional labs at multiple Ascend summer camps, working closely with middle and high school students in intensive, skills-focused learning environments.
In addition to his work at Ascend, Aditya founded an educational nonprofit focused on working with middle school students to build confidence, critical thinking, and communication skills. This work informs his coaching philosophy, which emphasizes clear argumentation, effective refutation, and helping students embrace their individual voice in debate.
Outside of debate, Aditya enjoys playing sports, spending time with his two cats, and volunteering.