On February 28, grade 9 students Reyna Li and Emma Rinot represented our school at the 5th Annual National Persuasive Speech Competition (Junior Division), joining students from across the country in tackling complex and timely issues.
Reyna spoke powerfully about the impact of drug use on Canadian youth, urging institutions to create opportunities that foster “mutual interests, not dependencies.” Emma addressed the challenges facing small business owners in downtown Vancouver, appealing to both collective responsibility and community action to confront the root causes of street-level insecurity.
Both students delivered engaging, authoritative, and exceptionally well-prepared speeches, each employing distinct and effective persuasive styles. We are thrilled to share that Emma was named the Junior Division winner and Reyna placed an impressive 2nd. Judges praised Emma's compelling use of personal storytelling to humanize the issue, and complimented Reyna on her “passionate and compelling” delivery and her choice to interweave problem and solution into her speech’s structure. Former MP Kevin Vuong remarked that the calibre of speeches presented would surpass many heard on the floor of the national legislature.
Congratulations to Emma and Reyna on this outstanding achievement, and kudos to Mr. Johnson and Ms. Haider for nurturing the talents of these impressive young speakers.
