YOUTH SPEAK OUT
TOWNSVILLE Grammar School student Barnabus Juhasz has won the state final for the English Speaking Union Public Speaking Competition.
He competed against six senior students from schools in South East Queensland, delivering a five-minute prepared speech based on Mahatma Ghandi’s quote, “Be the change you want to see in the world”.
The year 11 student was then given five minutes to prepare an impromptu speech topic and delivered a three-minute talk about his Australian representative rock climbing.
Barnabus was modest about his win.
“Every speaker had a completely different style,” he said.
“I was really pleased with my impromptu. I’ve had lots of practice, it made all the difference.”
State ESU Speaking Union coordinator Caroline Hatcher congratulated Barnabus on his polished performance.
“He was an outstanding Northern representative,” she said.
“There was a true feeling of young people from across the state voicing their ideas in a state competition.”
Barnabus’s coach, Joanne Keune, said he had worked very hard to win the competition.
“That’s what comes to people who work hard, after school and during their precious lunch hours, they gain new skills and their hard work pays off,” she said.
“I wish we could give the same attention to every young person.”
Barnabus will now knuckle down for his year 11 senior exams.