I walked into a classroom in March 2018 and staring back at me from their chairs were 30 highly intelligent and brilliantly creative young ladies. You could see the excitement and expectation in their eyes. Some were really happy to be there while others weren’t sure what to expect.
They were all there for a reason - to learn how to deliver a speech effectively. Well, that’s what they thought. However, what they didn’t realise was that they were going to have a day very different to their expectations.
We played games and got to know a little bit about each other with introductions. Then we played around with finding ways to stand out from the crowd. And if that wasn’t enough, we shared stories about ourselves. Things we had gone through or were still going through. So many stories came out that day.
However, one young lady caught my eye and caught my heart. Even before we decided what our final speech was going to be that day, she shared with the class her experience from the age of 6 and dealing with a speech impediment. She suffered with a stammer and with the help of her mother they found a way for her to overcome the awkward pauses, the b b b bonce of words and the fear of saying her name.
Her name - Erin Stoner, 15 years old from Westcliff High School for Girls. On 1st July 2018 Erin walked away with the title of National Youth Speaker of the Year - The Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge. It has given her a platform to further her cause and help people understand there is hope.
I’m so proud of this young lady and am honoured to have been able to work with her in this competition!