As one of two students representing the New England region, Gabrielle prepared her three to four minute speech titled ‘breaking down barriers’ and felt ready for the mystery, impromptu topic.

Lismore marked her third consecutive year of making the inter-regional finals and she could not have been more happy with the positive commendation received from adjudicators.

“My speech breaking down barriers focused on the Freedom Rides. The adjudicators said it was good I was talking about something that happened in Australia and not overseas.

“I talked about how Aboriginal people, during the Freedom Rides, were trying to break down barriers and how they did do it with determination and courage,” she said.

Gabrielle then went on to prepare, with only five minutes, her two-minute impromptu speech with the topic ‘bad habits’.

She followed a structured formula, taught to her by her mother, which worked wonders by remembering to have an introduction, current affair, personal, around the world and a conclusion.

“Dot points are also really important because you can’t write your whole speech in just five minutes.”

Gabrielle said her interest in public speaking sparked when her older brother was in Year 3 and competed in the same competition. She went on to follow in his footsteps when she reached the same year.

“I didn’t make it through in Year 3 so in Year 4 I tried again and I made inter-regionals. In Year 5 I made inter-regionals again but my grand father was in hospital so I wasn’t able to make the speech in the hall.

“Mrs Hosegood gave me the privileged of doing it on a screen and we had our adjudicator watching and so I made it through from my on-screen speech,” she said.

Gabrielle was stoked to again hear she had made the inter-regional finals for 2017. 

The Multicultural Perspective Public Speaking competition allows competitors to select from a variety of different topics as long as they relate back to multiculturalism. “I like that I can get up, speak and have a go. It’s fun and my Mum is a very good public speaker, so is my brother Josh,” she said.

Gabrielle practices her speeches and impromptu at home with her mother and at school with Mrs Hosegood.

The adjudicator on the day said everyone could look forward to watching for Gabrielle’s name in the future in politics or something similar to showcase her fantastic public speaking abilities.

“I too am confident that Gabrielle will continue to excel with debating and public speaking. She has a natural talent but one that has been nurtured by her family, school and through the opportunity provided by the Arts Unit running the state with MPPS competition,” Mrs Hosegood said.