2021-2022 Speech Contest Topic
How can your school partner with Rotary to change lives?
Prepare & Deliver a five-minute speech which relates this topic to teamwork and Rotary values.
Each of our contestants demonstrated that they have spent time reflecting on the topic they were to address in their talk for the 2022 Speech Contest. Each had spent time researching Rotary and our values.
The order of speaking was determined by the students’ class schedules.
Muhammad Bin Sleen who is a junior exchange student from Pakistan at Randolph High School.
Marina Fernandez who is a junior exchange student from Germany at Randolph High School.
Riley Naylor who is a freshman at Lebanon High School.
Grace Coughlin who is a Junior at Hanover High School
Muhammad Bin Sleen
Muhammad began his talk with a quote from Past Rotary President Barry Rassin, “Drive to do more, to be more, to create something that will live beyond each of us.” Muhammah then talked about the role Rotarians could have in instilling their passion for caring for others with students. He explored several ways Rotary Clubs could work with students:
- Involve students in community clean-ups or ask for help planting trees to help us protect our environments locally.
- Hold seminars and talk to students about Rotary values and the share the importance of serving others.
- In addition to speech contests, we could hold essay writing contests that encourage students to learn more about Rotary.
- Establish a local model United Nations for students to learn more about our global community. We could then consider sending students to other regional or national model United Nations as a means to educate students more broadly about the UN.
He concluded his talk by stating to find ourselves we should consider losing ourselves into the service of others.
Marina Fernandez
Marina shared that the internet can be a positive way to share information about Rotary and its role in the community. She reflected that many things done by Rotarians will change and save lives. Rotarians and Interactors should work to be helpers. By working together, we can do projects to improve our communities. She reminded us that students can provide new perspectives as projects are developed and implemented. She reflected on her exchange student experience as a means to help students fulfill their dreams and hopes that Rotary will continue to promote youth exchange. Rotarians shouldn’t underestimate the importance of sharing their life experiences. By collaborating with students Rotary would be able to change and save even more lives.
Riley Naylor
Riley began her talk by quoting Danny Thomas, “Success has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others.” She then focused on the role that Rotarian could play in mentoring high school students. She reflected on the Rotary 4-Way Test as a framework for her thoughts on assigned topic. She then focused her thoughts on the role Rotarians can provide through mentoring. Solid mentoring can result in lasting change in the lives of students. Rotarians could help students develop leadership skills and other skills that will help them learn how to be resilient. She believes we could educate them about topics that aren’t routinely covered in schools. She shared that when you have a passion, you can make a lasting impact on those around you. Her hope would be that we could create projects that will make a difference in our community
Grace Coughlin
Grace began her talk by telling us that she made a cold call to John Donahoe, President and CEO of NIKE, Inc. She was delighted that he took time to talk to her, and when she presented him with two questions about what would lead her to success, he replied, mentoring. He shared that he would not have the success he has today without the mentors in his life. Grace then challenged Rotarians to establish mentoring programs in the high schools as a means to help develop the future leaders in our communities and around the globe. She reflected on the First Object of Rotary, The Development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service. She believes that when students get to know seasoned professionals like Rotarians that they can provide advice, help a student to set goals, understand what it means to be accountable, and help teach students how to mentor the kids coming up behind them in school. Grace shared that she spends time as mentor at the middle school as a way to help prepare kids for the transition to the high school. Grace then offered that she would be willing to be the in-school liaison with Rotarians to set up and help organize a mentoring program at the high school. That this would be a great way to provide service to youth.
Post Meeting we learned that the judges selected Grace Coughlin as the winner of the speech contest. Congratulations to Grace!!