March 3, 2024
The always-hotly contested Kingaroy Lions Club Youth Of The Year competition is back after a three-year break!
The club has sponsored this leadership competition since its inception, but was forced to put the event on hold over the past three years after the pandemic began.
The competition considers community and cultural involvement as well as academic skills and public speaking.
The entrants’ final speeches were held at Kingaroy RSL on Friday night in front of an audience of more than 50 club members, parents, supporters and teachers.
Nine students from Kingaroy State High School, St Mary’s Catholic College and St John’s Lutheran School took part:
- Kingaroy State High School was represented by Amy O’Hanlon, Sydney Clarke, Izabella Grace, Fidel Meares, Michael Robinson, Indy Eriksen and Tiarna Petersen-Jiamtsu.
- Saint Mary’s Catholic College was represented by Mia De Guzman, and
- St John’s Lutheran School was represented by Maggie Livett.
All students underwent an individual interview during the day before delivering a prepared speech and an impromptu speech in front of this year’s judges: Jason Erbacher, from South Burnett CTC; retired deputy principal Tracey Reinbott; and retired NAB manager Mike Barrett.
The judges congratulated all the students on their outstanding performances, and said this had made it very difficult to select the ultimate winners.
The public speaking award went to Indy Eriksen and the Youth Of The Year award to Maggie Livett.
Maggie presented speeches on youth crime and keeping young people in the community as well as a prepared speech on the breakdown of communication between generations.
She will now go on to the regional competition in Gympie.
State winners will compete at the Lions Multiple District Convention which is being held in Darwin in May.
