$5M gift affirms Wake Debate and moves program forward

August 5, 2021

The ultimate collegiate debate fan, Megan Medica cheers on the Wake Forest debate team with a level of excitement that rivals any sports enthusiast. She closely follows the outcome of each round of competition and celebrates every victory.

Her late husband John Medica shared her passion for the deep-thinking, fast-talking world of debate.

To honor him, Megan has given $5 million to ensure the Wake Forest debate program has the resources needed to build on its legacy of success.

“We are so grateful to Megan Medica for choosing to honor John, who served as a trustee of Wake Forest, by investing in the Wake Forest Debate program,” said Wake Forest President Susan R. Wente. “The extraordinarily generous gift will support the academic and personal development of our debaters and inspire them to reach their highest goals.”

The five-year gift is the largest Wake Forest has received from an individual to support a program in the undergraduate college. It may also be the largest given to any debate program in the country.

“It is simply life-changing for our current debaters and for generations to come,” said Jarrod Atchison, who directs the Wake Forest Debate program. “I’m not aware of any other gift of this magnitude in the college debate community. It is not easy to have such a profound effect on a program that is 185 years old, but that is exactly what the Medicas have done.”

Megan, who was a college debate competitor and earned a master’s degree in communication from Wake Forest, introduced her husband to debate. He became enthralled with the team’s process of crafting winning arguments and skill at the high-speed art of persuasion. The pair became avid supporters of the Wake Forest Debate program.

“John and I loved being a part of the Wake Forest debate family,” she said. “Many a late weekend night, we would listen for a ping to alert us that a text arrived with a status report on how the team was doing at a tournament. I wanted to honor John and his commitment to Wake Forest; and there is no better way than to invest in a program that engages the mind, seeks excellence and edifies young people.”

Read more on the Wake Forest News and Wake Forest College of Arts & Sciences websites.