Speaking of winners...

Haimee-Jane with teacher/coach Greg Mattiske, left,
and Rostrum Regional Vice-President Geoff Keeler of Palmwoods.

CHRISTIAN Outreach College student Haimee-Jane Roberts travelled the world in six minutes with her winning speech which scooped the Junior Division trophy at the recent Rostrum Voice of Youth public speaking competition.

Competing against 13 other Sunshine Coast students, Haimee-Jane, 15, captivated the audience and judges with her speech "A Teenager’s Dream".

"In my speech I wrote from the perspective of being 10 years old through to a teenager of 14, detailing my adventures around the world," she said. "Last year I did a serious speech which is why I chose a topic that was a bit more outrageous and dramatic this year."

Haimee-Jane came home with flying colours and will now go on to compete in the South Queensland finals at Moreton Bay College on May 23.

"I know that this next speech I’m preparing will have to be better as these finals will be a lot tougher," she said. "At the finals we present a three minute impromptu speech which I have never had to do before, as well as the prepared six minute speech. With the impromptu speech we are given a topic and have only four minutes to prepare."

Haimee-Jane is the first Christian Outreach Student to win the Rostrum Voice of Youth trophy and hopes to come home victorious from the South Queensland Finals.