A Peterborough high school student is on her way to the provincial finals of the Royal Canadian Legion’s Public Speaking Contest.
Lauren Sytnyk, a grade 10 student at Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic School, earned her place after a first place finish in the Senior division at the District level on Saturday, April 20. Sytnyk’s speech focuses on the benefits of learning a second language, with words that she hopes will inspire others to embrace linguistic diversity.
She shared her personal journey into language learning, sparked by her mother’s fluency in Polish. “I soon discovered that I had a deep love and desire for learning languages,” she said. “I chose this topic for my speech because of my passion for languages and because I believe it resonates with who I am as a human. It is my wish that everyone who has heard me speak will be inspired to learn a new language.”
Dr. John Jalsevac, headmaster of Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of the Wayside, expressed his pride in Lauren’s achievement, stating, “We are extremely proud of Lauren’s accomplishment. As a classical school, Wayside emphasizes the art of rhetoric. Each year, all our students deliver memorized speeches before the entire school, with the top speakers advancing to the Legion’s contest. Lauren’s speech held the attention of the entire school during our in-house contest. I’m not surprised that the Legion’s judges were as impressed as we all were! The entire school will be cheering her on come May 4.”
Sytnyk expressed gratitude for her success up to this point, acknowledging the high level of competition awaiting her at the provincial finals next Saturday in Etobicoke. “While I am confident in the effort I’ve put in, I also recognize the caliber of my competitors,” she said. “Win or lose, I am so grateful for having made it this far.”
(Written by: Scott Arnold)
