On February 24th, five of our Year 12 students: Alberta Olisi, Elijah Flint, Molly Crouch, Madison Hagerty and Alice McKenzie took part in the Naracoorte Lions Youth of the Year competition.
As part of the event, they each delivered a five-minute persuasive speech on a topic of their choice, while aiming to engage their audience. Additionally, they submitted applications showcasing their achievements in leadership, sport, academics, and cultural involvement. A significant component of the competition was a 30-minute interview, during which three judges assessed their general knowledge through a series of thought-provoking questions.
On the evening, during a Lions dinner meeting, the students presented their prepared speeches and faced two impromptu speech topics: “If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?” and “We live in an ever-changing world—what do you hope for your future?”. Congratulations to all participants for their outstanding efforts. A special commendation goes to Alice McKenzie, who impressed the judges with her speech on “The importance of communities offering social interactions and entertainment for retirees,” securing the Public Speaking Award. Another big congratulations to Alberta Olisi, who was named the overall winner of the Naracoorte competition. However, she was unable to advance to the Regional Final, so runner-up Elijah Flint stepped in to represent our school.
The Regional Final took place in Kingston on March 2nd, where Eli competed against winners from Lucindale, Kingston, and Millicent. Facing strong competition, he once again submitted an application, participated in an interview, delivered his prepared speech on “Rural schools should receive more funding and resources,” and tackled two new impromptu topics. Eli’s confident delivery and compelling arguments earned him both the Public Speaking Award and the Overall Winner title.
Eli competed in the District Final in Adelaide on March 23rd against highly talented candidates from Brighton, Berri and Mount Gambier, he represented our school and district exceptionally well. Although he did not advance to the State Final, Eli gained invaluable skills and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. His dedication and effort were commendable, and we congratulate him on his outstanding achievement.
