Christian Joseph of the St Vincent Grammar School took the top spot in the Lions Club St Vincent South 2023 Secondary School Public Speaking Competition.
He scored 421 points and won the Michael De Freitas Challenge trophy which will remain with the school until next year’s competition.
Joseph also walked away with the Best Main Speech and Best Student Prepared Presentation awards at Tuesday’s finals in Kingstown.
The Girls High School, represented by Janeil Stowe, came in second with 374.5 points while Rayanna Ross of the Mountain View Adventist Academy took the third spot scoring 365 points.
Soren Phillips, representing the Thomas Saunders Secondary School, won the award for the Best Impromptu Speech and scored a total of 341.5 points.
The top three winners received scholarships valued at EC$2,000, EC$1,000 and EC$500 respectively and all participants received smartphones compliments the title sponsor, FLOW.
The other finalists were Kevisha Richardson, of the St. Joseph’s Convent Kingstown, who attained 341 points and Lisa Robertson, representing the Adelphi Secondary School, with 347.5 points.
This year’s topic was “Unless criminals’ proximity to power is reduced, their ill-gotten gains confiscated and a culture of lawfulness fostered, the level of crime will remain at unacceptable levels’”.
Last year’s competition was won by Oscar Browne of the St Martin’s Secondary school.