Aoife McNamara, student at Langley School, has won the Soroptimist’s Midland Arden Regional Public Speaking Competition.
Aoife is the first Solihull student to win the competition in 20 years, and spoke for 4 minutes on her chosen topic, ‘Artificial Intelligence - friend or foe?’.
The competition was held in Bromsgrove, with ten students from across the region taking part. Students chose their topics from a list of seven categories ranging from gender equality to future technologies. Another Solihull student competed, Labib Zaman from Tudor Grange Academy.
Open to ages 14-18, the Soroptimists held the event for students to challenge themselves to present engaging presentations to a judging panel. This year’s panel was led by Catherine Williamson, Past President of the National Speakers Association.
For winning the top prize, Aoife was awarded a prize cheque for £150 and the Midland Arden Trophy. All participants were presented with a £25 book token.
The Mayor of Solihull, Councillor Diana Holl-Allen MBE, said:
“It is wonderful to see our young, bright Solihull students challenging themselves in such a competition. It can be difficult to speak to an audience, especially while being judged! I’ve had experience of public speaking for many years, so I know how tough it can be.
“Aoife did a fantastic job and should be proud of herself. We are fortunate to have such talented young people in Solihull – I heard that the judges were amazed by their performances.
“I wish all participating students good luck in the future, and hope they continue to thrive in their public speaking endeavours!”
Winner, Aoife McNamara, student at Langley School, said:
“I am absolutely delighted to have had the opportunity to compete in the Solihull Soroptimist Regional Public Speaking Competition. It was a wonderful experience and I thoroughly enjoyed discovering more about the topic of artificial intelligence.
“I would like to thank my teachers for all of their time and support and the Soroptimists for organising such a brilliant competition!”
Mrs Thorpe, Headteacher at Langley School, said:
'We are incredibly proud of Aoife for representing herself and our school so positively.
“Public speaking is a key skill for our young people as a gateway to improved confidence as well as preparation for future career success. We are grateful to the Soroptimists for providing this opportunity for our pupils.”
Soroptimist International is a global volunteer movement founded in 1921 with a network of 66,000 club members in 120 countries. Club Projects such as public speaking competitions help women and girls achieve their individual and collective potential, realise aspirations and have an equal voice in communities worldwide.
For more information on Solihull and District Club of Soroptimist International, visit http://www.si-solihull.org.uk