WynSpeak is a Public Speaking Competition for Secondary School students in the Wyndham region where students prepare a 5-minute speech and are graded for both the speech's content and their presentation skills. They also give a 2-minute impromptu speech as part of the competition. Preliminary rounds run through April and May, with a final on the 1st of June.
Four students from Heathdale Werribee campus spoke, each performing admirably. A special congratulations to Haniel George (Year 9) and Esther Hu (Year 7) who won the Senior and Junior sections respectively and have progressed through to the Final!
We also have competitors from Melton campus competing in a later Preliminary round and we wish them all the best.
Haniel and Esther tell us more about their experiences below!
"When it comes to public speaking, I enjoy having the chance to show people what goes through my head and getting to be on the stage with the focus of many.
The most challenging part of public speaking is gaining the courage to get up on the stage in the first place. Once you get up and start speaking everything is fine, but taking the first confident steps is a bit hard.
Right before my turn to compete at Wynspeak, my heart was pounding as I heard all those other excellent and confident speakers voice their opinion.
When I found out I won the Senior section, I felt like everything I had practiced and done had been worth it. It made me feel proud that people enjoyed what I spoke about and hopefully they took something away from it.
To prepare for the final, I’m probably going to change a few things in my script as I did wing a few bits, but overall, I’ll just be re-reading everything and focusing on hand gestures."
Haniel G.
"Something I enjoy most about public speaking is interacting with the audience and talk about a topic in more depth. But mostly importantly, I enjoy talking about something I’m really passionate about, so they I can really express my emotions.
Personally, I think the most challenging part of public speaking is crafting an engaging, well- structured speech, because you need a ‘hook’ at the start of the speech to engage the audience. But God led me through it.
I felt slightly nervous when it was my turn to compete, but I knew that God will be with me no matter what. I was like, “This is my opportunity!” I took a deep breath and began my speech, just like what I did at home.
I was happy and excited when I found out I won the Junior section. I was also very grateful for God, who is always there for me, my family and teachers who supported me and helped me to prepare my speech. I was also relieved that the speech was finally over after weeks of practice.
To be prepared for the final, I’ll have to practice, practice, practice! I want to be well-prepared so that I can deliver my speech confidently. And there’s always room for improvement!"
Esther H.