Talents of Future Business Leaders Showcased at Speech and Leadership Contest
On Friday 28 July 2023 the Royal Commonwealth Society of Western Australia held its 53rd annual ‘Speech and Leadership Contest’. The topic, “If I could change one thing” was interpreted in many different ways. Each of the nine finalists across both the Senior (Year 11 and above) and Junior (Year 7-10) Divisions gave a breathtaking delivery in terms of content and relevance. Award recipients demonstrated wisdom and understanding when it came to their thoroughly researched subject matter. Sherry Donaldson, who was a judge for both Divisions stated that, “The concepts tackled by the contestants were sophisticated and indicated a level of communication skill/ability far beyond that which would normally be expected of students in their respective age groups”.
All of the finalists were terrific ambassadors for their schools. As a result of their performance, the following contestants were given awards and a small monetary gift.
Junior Division Outcomes
| • Victoria Hill | St Stephen’s School | Winner |
| • Ishaan Patel | Perth Modern School | President’s Encouragement Award |
| • Oliver Panotidis | Hale School | President’s Encouragement Award |
| • Daniel Richards | Hale School | President’s Encouragement Award |
| • Samantha Lee | Iona Presentation College | President’s Encouragement Award |
Senior Division Outcomes
| • Isabella Marchesani | Mercedes College | Winner |
| • Drew Davison | Hale School | President’s Encouragement Award |
| • Digby House | Hale School | President’s Encouragement Award |
| • Xavier Torre | Hale School | President’s Encouragement Award |
The winners were awarded a certificate and a $100 prize while the encouragement award recipients were given a certificate and $50. The Minister for Youth, the Hon. Simone McGurk, will be writing to all award recipients to congratulate them. Junior Division award recipients will have their achievements recognised on their Western Australian Certificate of Secondary Education.
The above youth have been asked to form an inaugural advisory Committee for the Royal Commonwealth Society of Western Australia. The Committee will consist of young people with vision and drive. We are grateful to law firm Hall & Wilcox for hosting the first Committee meeting.
The future of Western Australia looks bright, if it is soon to be in the hands of these young leaders in our Community. For more information on the 2024 Speech and Leadership Contest, contact Terry Spiro at admin@rcswa.org.
