Coached by people who've 
won at the highest level

More about the team

Quest Sandel

Quest Sandel is the Co-Founder & CEO of Ascend and Director of Ascend Middle School Debate. He is Head Coach at James Logan High School and the winningest Congressional Debate coach in the United States.

His students have won NSDA Nationals (2019, 2023), the Tournament of Champions (2020, 2022, 2023), and multiple state titles — a record of sustained excellence at every level of competition.

Aditya Chordiya

Aditya Chordiya is the Chief Operating Officer of Ascend and leads our middle school program. He is an Assistant Coach at James Logan High School, where he works alongside Quest to develop some of the top Congressional debaters in the country.

His students have placed 2nd at the Tournament of Champions and 2nd at Harvard, and include the 2025 California State Champion and the 2026 UIL State Champion.