Hi everyone! My name is Lawrence Zhou, and I was born in a small city in Virginia. When I was two, my family moved to Akron, Ohio (home of Lebron James!), and when I was in the fourth grade, we moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
Ever since I was young, I've always enjoyed reading and learning new things. In fact, I am confident that the reason I wear glasses today is that I read too many books under the covers of my bed with a flashlight when I was younger. It should be no surprise that when I discovered debate in high school, I was instantly hooked. It was an activity that rewarded you for being a nerd and knowing more than your opponent! And besides, there was not a lot else to do in Oklahoma.
While attending the University of Oklahoma, I began coaching debate at schools all across the nation including in Texas, Minnesota and California. After I graduated from college, I moved to Beijing, China to teach debate there. One thing that I discovered during my time abroad was just how different the education systems are between different countries. Schools in China emphasized the importance of memorizing lots of knowledge, but not the importance of thinking for yourself.
