Haylee judged Lions Youth of the Year

SURF Coast Secondary College Year 11 student Haylee Heard has won out against two of her schoolmates to be named Torquay Lions Club’s 2017-18 Youth of the Year.

The judging was held on Thursday at the Lions Village.

According to Youth of the Year co-ordinator Nick Kearsey, the three contestants of very high standards were chosen from an exceptionally well-presented field of Torquay’s young people this year.

“The Lions Youth of the Year Program is designed to foster, encourage and develop the leadership qualities of our youth, in conjunction with other citizenship qualities at the age when they are about to enter the fields of employment or higher education.

“The qualities sought include academic attainments, leadership, citizenship and community involvement, personality, sportsmanship and public speaking.”

Judges could not separate the two other finalists, Zeesha Cummins and Julia Pieroni in the public speaking element of the competition, so they both received awards.

Initial judging was based on individual interviews with the club’s three judges: retired public servant Michael Oliver, retired teacher Jill Sharpe and Robyn Dodd, a local artist and real estate professional.

Students had to answer two impromptu questions for up to two minutes, and to present a five-minute prepared speech on a topic of their choice.

“The range of topics presented at this year’s Youth of the Year dinner was varied and well thought out and presented by the young people,” Mr Kearsey said.

Chair of the judges Michael Oliver said that in the time he had been on the judging panel, this year’s candidates caused the judges considerable difficulty in making their choices.

“Each of these students, shone in their public speaking presentations and in the key categories of leadership, general knowledge, personality, sporting and cultural, citizenship and community, and academic.”

Haylee will now go forward to the zone final in the next step in the Australia-wide program.