A Grade 10 student from Reddam House Bedfordview is making her mark on the international debating circuit after competing at one of the world’s most prestigious student debating events.
Ruby Banjac travelled to Cambridge, Massachusetts, as part of her debating club, Apex, to compete in the Harvard College World Schools Invitational 2026, which brought together more than 90 teams from across the globe for a week of high-level competition.
Competing in five preliminary rounds, Ruby’s team secured three victories and progressed to the novice semi-finals, placing 4th among the top novice teams in the tournament. Ruby also achieved an impressive individual speaker ranking 39th in a field featuring some of the world’s top young debaters.
Ruby said the experience challenged and inspired her in equal measure. “Competing at Harvard was an unforgettable experience. The level of competition was intense, and while the semi-final loss was tough, standing among the top speakers globally taught me so much about the nuance of international discourse. Touring the Harvard campus and engaging with brilliant minds from every corner of the world has only fuelled my passion for debating. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have grown not just as a speaker, but as a global citizen.”
Ruby’s latest achievement builds on an already impressive debating journey. Last year she competed internationally at the Tanzania World Schools Debating Championship in Zanzibar, where her team won the tournament. She later represented Gauteng at the National Championships, reaching the final and being ranked fifth junior speaker in South Africa.
Her performance led to selection for the South African Junior Debating Team earlier this year. “Making the SAJ team means the world to me. It shows that all the hard work and time invested was truly worth it. It is an absolute honour to represent my country at the junior level and I can’t wait to see what’s next.”
Ruby is currently preparing for the World Schools Debate Academy in Slovenia, where she hopes to continue building on her international experience.
Says Stephen Hazley, Executive Head of Reddam House Bedfordview, “Ruby’s achievements reflect not only her talent as a debater, but also the commitment, discipline and intellectual curiosity she brings to everything she does. To compete and perform at this level while still in Grade 10 is an exceptional accomplishment and we are incredibly proud to see her representing both the school and South Africa on an international stage.”
