Students from Aspley State High, Wavell State High, Kedron State High and Craigslea State High have been showcasing their leadership and public speaking skills in this year’s Brisbane Inner North Lions Club Youth of the Year competition.
The club held its finals last month, with the winner set to advance to the District Final on 23 March.
Eliza Knott, winner of the 2022 Youth of the Year and chair of this year’s competition, said the event offered numerous opportunities, such as participating in interviews and responding to impromptu questions before an audience.
“These skills, both interview and public speaking, are useful for far more than high school competitions and the opportunity to practice them before the stakes are high is invaluable,” Eliza said.
“With 70% of the students’ scores based on their interview, which assesses their leadership, sporting and cultural activities, Youth of the Year has a huge focus on community engagement. Taking part in these activities is a great way for young people to develop and hone all kinds of skills and attributes such as teamwork, resilience and a service mindset.”
Eliza Knott’s Leadership Journey and Advice for Competitors
She added that as chair of the competition, she had gained an appreciation for the behind-the-scenes work and had the chance to liaise with local representatives and community organisations.
“Having the support of my Lions Club to chair this competition has enabled me to further develop my team-leading skills – chairing meetings and keeping track of tasks to be completed is a big part of this role,” she said.
Eliza said her advice to this year’s competitors was “keep calm”.
“You might find that you’re asked a question in an interview that you don’t really know the answer to, or an impromptu question might be on a topic you have limited knowledge about – but it’s often easier to take a deep breath, refocus and take a few seconds to think through your answer before speaking,” she said.
The Youth of the Year competition is also the reason Eliza and her mother joined the Lions Club.
“A service mindset is incredibly important when it comes to leadership and Lions has enabled both my mum and I to serve our community in many different ways,” she said. “I can say with absolute certainty that I would not be the person I am today had I not competed in the competition in 2022 – you never know what opportunities lie just around the corner.”
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