Photo Submitted By Princeton Rotary ClubFour high school students representing Rotary Clubs in Cadiz, Mayfield, Murray, and Princeton showcased their speeches at the District 6710 Sectional 1 Speech Contest hosted by the Princeton Rotary Club on Tuesday.
This year’s contest theme “Imagine Rotary” was selected by Jennifer Jones, the president of the International Rotary.
Isabella Burton, a freshman of Bluegrass Christian Academy Homeschool, was named the winner of both the Princeton Rotary Club’s Speech Contest in March and the Sectional 1 Speech Contest on Tuesday. She was awarded a $400 check from District 6710 for her 1st place finish and said it was a privilege to speak about the Rotary Club, as it was only her second speech contest ever.
click to download audioBurton now moves on to the regional speech contest.
click to download audio
Lexie Mathis, a senior at Graves County High School, was awarded 2nd place and received a $200 check. She plans to attend West Kentucky Community and Technical College to become an ultrasound and X-ray technician. Mathis says she has always enjoyed Rotary and what the club has to offer.
click to download audioThird place along with a $100 check was awarded to Enas Abo Al Haija, a senior at Calloway County High School, who plans to attend Oregon State and major in chemistry to become a dermatologist. She says she was excited to win the money that will go toward textbooks at college.
click to download audioAnd Maria Ricks, a sophomore at Trigg County High School, did not place in the top three but was awarded a monetary donation from the Rotary Club for participating in the speech contest. Ricks is 16-years old and doesn’t have any future plans yet, but she does want to go to college and further her education. She says the speech contest is a great opportunity.
click to download audioSpeech contest organizer and Princeton Rotarian Dr. Melissa Webb-Earnest say it was an honor for the local club to host the Sectional 1 contest.
click to download audio
The judges of Tuesday’s contest were Janie Tomek, Dr. Doug Overhults, and Patti Blackburn. Gale Cherry and JD Wilson served as timekeepers and Stacy Boone and Paulette Gray served as tellers.
Burton now advances the West Regional contest which will be hosted by the Hopkinsville Rotary Club at the War Memorial Building on May 9th at noon.
To hear Isabella Burton’s speech, click on the audio below:
To hear Lexie Mathis’s speech, click on the audio below:
To hear Enas Abo Al Haija’s speech, click on the audio below:
To hear Maria Ricks’s speech, click on the audio below:
