The competiton requires an interview, a prepared speech and two impromptu speeches. This was the second round of the competiton - Amelia had won the local competition in November, and was now excited for the challenge of the District Final.

In preperation for the second round of this competition, Amelia refined her speech, which was titled 'The injustice of the justice system', refining her language and call to action. She delievered this with passion and flair, making her stand out against the other contestents.

She nailed the impromptu questions, which were 'How has social media affected your schooling experience?' and 'Do schools educate children on how to be financially independent?' This was a significant improvement in Amelia's confidence from the first round.

While she ended up missing out on proceeding to the state final (by one point!) she did win the second award, which was best public speaker of the day.

Amelia found the whole experience very rewarding and exciting. She is grateful for the opportunity to participate in this program and believes it has equipped her with the skills and confidence to thrive, not only at the College, but in her future endeavors. She wishes to extend her thanks to Ms Bryannie, for guiding her throughout her Lions journey, and thank you to Ms Lennox for her support in attending the day.

In Amelia's words: "I am so proud of myself for writing a speech that I hold so closely to my heart, a matter that I am passionate about and will never stop advocating for. I have honestly gained so much through this rewarding experience and I encourage other girls within the college to get involved too in the future and it's something I would really like to see, a St Pat's girl making it even further into the Lions Youth of the Year program."

Laura Bryannie - Public Speaking and Debating Coordinator