A STATE final of the annual Legacy Junior Public Speaking Competition was held at Ballarat Legacy House earlier in the month.<\/p>\n
The competition\u2019s aim is to strengthen the oral presentation skills of 12-to-15-year-old students, and to encourage them to engage with the ideals of Legacy.<\/p>\n
Four local young people representing Loreto College and Phoenix College competed against students from Portland, Timboon, and Hamilton.<\/p>\n
They presented prepared five-minute speeches linked to the ideals of voluntary service, care, comradeship or remembrance, and a two-minute impromptu speech on a topic chosen by the chief judge.<\/p>\n
Phoenix College\u2019s Dee Matthews-Wood said standing up to share her ideas with the audience was rewarding.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt upped my confidence by so much and made me feel so much more safe within myself to do what I want to do, and know that I can do it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to work in a public-facing role and do something that requires talking to not only the people I work with, but the general public.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe topic of my prepared speech was \u2018the point of prison.\u2019 Criminology has always been a passion of mine, and I\u2019m interested in the reasons why people end up there. I\u2019ve always been a \u2018why\u2019 person.\u201d<\/p>\n
The competition was adjudicated by chief judge Barb Dunlop, alongside Garry Taylor and Andrew Dunwoodie.<\/p>\n
Ms Dunlop said all contestants performed wonderfully and being able to watch so many young women speak so well was thrilling.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank goodness Ballarat Legacy has continued with this public speaking. We were so impressed with everyone, but where do you go from here?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got to seize opportunities to speak in public. You\u2019ve got to ask yourself, \u2018how can I improve my skills and use them?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen your sports coach or house mistress is completing sporting events, stand up and thank them. When your grandparent has a birthday… you get up and congratulate them too.<\/p>\n
\u201cMake opportunities to use your skills. It\u2019s not just a school skill, it\u2019s a lifetime skill.\u201d<\/p>\n
Portland Secondary College students, sisters Daisy and Milly Bayona, were respectively awarded first and second place. Daisy will attend the national final in Launceston, Tasmania in November.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A STATE final of the annual Legacy Junior Public Speaking Competition was held at Ballarat Legacy House earlier in the month. The competition\u2019s aim is to strengthen the oral presentation skills of 12-to-15-year-old students, and to encourage them to engage with the ideals of Legacy. Four local young people representing Loreto College and Phoenix College […]<\/p>\n