Lara gets her voice heard

Local high school student makes her mark at prestigious public speaking contest

topic was, making the right decisions, and taking a different path to what everyone else takes.”

Year 9 student at Penola Catholic College, Lara White, has enjoyed public speaking ever since she was in primary school. Now, with some big wins under her belt, it’s clear she’s in it for the long haul.

For Lara, public speaking is all about finally having the opportunity to have her voice heard.

“I like being able to express myself in front of others, so being able to pick a topic and have other people, whether I know them or don’t know them, and have them listen to me. It’s really enjoyable,” she said.

After taking part in a few competitions in her younger years, Lara recently set off to compete in the Grand Finals of the CSDA public speaking competition – one of the largest public speaking competitions in the Southern Hemisphere, which sees thousands of competitors and over 80 schools get involved.

The competition consists of three rounds including small groups of keen public speakers, talking about some unique topics.

“My topic was ‘Don’t pass go, don’t collect $20’,” she said.

“The topics are really about how you interpret them, so my interpretation of the

With this the first time Lara took on the CSDA public speaking competition, it’s no surprise she was experiencing some nerves.

But, the 14-year-old placed in the top 12 –a prestigious feat that she couldn’t be more happy to have achieved.

“All of the topics were amazing, everyone had really good speeches, so I was very nervous,” she said.

“The first round, I thought maybe I could do it, the second I wasn’t so sure if I was going to get through. But, when I did, I was really excited.”

As for what’s next for Lara, she’s keen to challenge herself by entering the competition again in 2024, but she’s sure that won’t be all.

“If there’s more opportunities for me, I’ll always put my hand up for it,” she said.

“I just really love public speaking.”

Lara also intends on using her public speaking skills in her future career, merging these talents with her other interests.

“I’ve definitely found that this is one of my strengths – talking in front of others,” she said.

“I’m thinking I might want to work with animals, so I could maybe be a tour guide, talking to others.”