Speaking of Success

Marietta Stents, Year 8, has aspirations to be a court judge and she has already showed she has what it takes when she won the 2016 Victorian Legacy Junior Public Speaking Award.

The audience was captivated by her five minute speech titled ‘The Never Ending Battle’ which was inspired by an image of Pompey Elliott, a WWI veteran who sadly committed suicide after the war, which is on the RSL building in Camberwell.

“I decided to research Pompey’s life story and I thought it really connected with Legacy’s values,” Marietta said. “Writing and delivering the speech about Pompey who had given so much was an honour.”

Marietta also presented a two-minute impromptu speech on standing in a queue with a focus on taking time to reflect and think about the future and others. She won a perpetual trophy and $300, and will represent Victoria at the national Legacy Junior Public Speaking final in Adelaide on 14 November.

Twelve finalists were selected from 478 Victorian students aged from, 12 to 14 years, to compete in the state final which was held at the Telstra auditorium on 21 October.

The three judges were: Barb Dunlop, Royal South Street Society; Gordon Archer from Melbourne Legacy; and retired school Principal, Bill Schrank. They judged the students on their use of word choice, elocution, pace, solid arguments and their ability to engage the audience.

“Each finalist showed maturity beyond their years and they had the audience of more than eighty people in awe,” Barb said. “All the judges were impressed by the high standard and while selecting the winner wasn’t easy, Marietta’s presentation was outstanding. She spoke with poise and eloquence.”

Legacy cares for veteran families of Australia Defence Force personnel who have given their health or life for their country. The Legacy Junior Public Speaking Award began in 1988 to help young people appreciate the ideals of Legacy which includes voluntary service, caring, mateship and remembrance and to encourage students to develop confidence by using language to convey their point of view.