JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — Area high school students competed in SUNY Jamestown Community College’s 12th annual College Connections student speech contest in April at the Scharmann Theatre on the Jamestown Campus.
Jamestown’s Oliva Beach, third place; Falconer’s Isabella
Anderson, first place; and Maple Grove’s Allison Bohall,
second place.
Isabella Anderson, a junior from Falconer Central School won the $125 first-place prize, while Allison Bohall, a senior from Maple Grove Jr./Sr. High School, and Olivia Beach, a junior from Jamestown High School, earned the $75 second- and $50 third-place prizes, respectively.
Ten students from high schools offering JCC’s public speaking course participated, including Aidan McCleery of Falconer, Liam McGuire of Ellicottville Middle/High School, Jarek Montalban and Bretten Shreve of Westfield Academy & Central School, Luciana Marchese of Franklinville Central School-Ten Broeck Academy, Joshua Skinner of Jamestown, and Elora Watkins of Maple Grove.
Contestants were asked to identify which of the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals they found to be the most significant and speak on how to reach that goal. They were also asked to deliver a one-minute impromptu speech on a topic chosen at random.
Speakers were judged on eye contact, pace, volume, pitch, content, research, and speech organization.
"We were excited to highlight JCC's emphasis on globalization this year during our annual speech contest,” said Simone Sellstrom, JCC’s director of Media, Visual, and Performing arts and coordinator of Communication. “The 17 sustainable development goals outlined by the U.N. are integral to the long-term health of our local communities, and it was exciting to see the many ways students envisioned the application of these goals both locally and globally."
The competition was judged by Theresa Baginski, retired JCC Spanish professor; Jan Bowman, retired JCC Biology professor; and Alizé Scott-Nowell, director of social justice and racial equity at YWCA Jamestown. Sellstrom and JCC’s Jade Barber, director of High School Partnerships, coordinated the event.
Fellow students from the participating schools were on hand to watch the competition and support their classmates. The attending classes are taught by Ashley Wright of Gowanda High School, Brianne Kalfus of Falconer, Cathie Nelson of Ellicottville, Laura Wilson of Westfield, Laura Svec of Franklinville, Elizabeth Rowe-Baehr of Jamestown, and Cara Abbey of Maple Grove.
The College Connections program partners with 38 schools in Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties, providing high school students the opportunity to take JCC courses and earn college credit. About 2,000 area students participated in the program this academic year, with some close to completing an associate’s degree.