Promotional Feature
Three girls in Year 11 at Alderley Edge School for Girls have won the district heat of the Rotary Youth Speaks competition and will go on to compete in the final in March.
Thea Garfield, Lilia Fraser and Kate Taylor performed a team speech on the topic 'Giving Credit to the Hidden 45%.' The hidden 45% is in fact, introverts. The topic itself was chosen by self-confessed introvert, Lilia who said it will come as a surprise to many that she had even entered the competition.
Not only did Lilia and her Year 11 peers enter the competition but they won their district heat which saw them eloquently explaining how introverts, the forgotten half of society, were part of the same group as geniuses, icons and world leaders including; Albert Einstein, Rosa Parks and Barak Obama.
The Rotary Youth Speaks competition is a public speaking competition for 11-18 year olds. It provides a wonderful platform for young people to develop and perform and is a tremendous demonstration of public speaking talents for all the young people involved. Pupils have the freedom of choice to choose a topic that means something to them and the competition itself sees the team taking on the roles of Chairperson, Speaker and Vote of Thanks.
Mrs Jill Hogan, Teacher of English at Alderley Edge School for Girls, said: "We are so proud of the girls for winning their heat. It was incredibly brave of Lilia to choose a topic that was so personal to her. The girls put the speech together completely independently and organised themselves as a team. Lilia's speech has certainly shattered any stereotypes surrounding introverts and proved that they articulate, confident individuals who, although they may not always be the first to speak up, when they do - everyone listens."
Alderley Edge School for Girls, Headmistress, Mrs Nicola Smillie, added: "We are so proud of the girls' articulate, well-researched and thought-provoking speech and are delighted they have won the district heat. Providing our pupils with opportunities for public speaking and healthy competition is something we are passionate about, here at Alderley Edge School for Girls.
"We have some incredibly talented public speakers at the school and we are delighted that they have the opportunity to showcase their talents. We are looking forward to seeing the girls continue their journey in the competition and hope to see them at the finals."
