Seventeen-year-old orator Jake Parsons from Ashburton has a way with words.
He was able to capture his audience for five minutes with a speech on country music, which had recently ‘‘snuck on to his playlist’’.
Now, he is an award winning speechmaker preparing for a national speechmaker event in New Plymouth next month.
There, his speaking skills will be tested against other contestants in the Lions Clubs International Young Speechmaker national final.
Jake, sponsored by the Lions Club of Ashburton County, won the Clubs District 202J contest last month in Oamaru. It was open to people from Ashburton to Milton, aged 16 to 21-years-old.
The Ashburton College school leader was the only competitor from Mid Canterbury and credits his win to skills picked up during two and a half years at Ashburton Toastmasters.
He had been encouraged to join by his parents.
It was to give him experience and knowledge of public speaking to assist him when standing for the leadership position at college.
Jake said he was initially nervous about the competition but happy to win against the 10 competing.
‘‘I was thrilled with the win and satisfied with how I performed. It was great taking part alongside other people my own age,’’ he said.
‘‘At Toastmasters we do impromptu speeches so this experience certainly helped me with the impromptu speech part of the competition.’’
He entertained the audience with his five minute prepared speech on the rise of popularity in country music.
‘‘I choose country music as my topic because until recently I really didn’t like it, but has snuck on to my playlist,’’ Jake said.
For the impromptu speech, competitors were taken to a private room and then given the judges topic, ‘changes the world needs now’, and 60 seconds to prepare.
‘‘I had been watching the news the night before where a story about deepfake AI was discussed. As this was fresh in my mind it made it easier to talk about it,’’ he said.
The judges are reported to have said it was close deciding on the placegetters.
‘‘When the judges were announcing the winners and it came to second-place, one judge said her son really enjoyed one speech, and I thought, ‘oh that might be my country music one’.
‘‘But then Malak was announced as second-place getter, so when they then said the winner was me, I was pretty shocked.’’
Jake will deliver his country music speech in New Plymouth on August 2, along with an impromptu one.
‘‘In preparation for the national (competition) I am practising the speech so hopefully I can deliver it without my cue cards,’’ he said.
He will be well-supported at the competition by his grandparents and other family who live in the area.
Jake said at the completion of his education, he was looking to work in sales, and continue public speaking through Toastmasters.
The confidence and skills he has learnt through public speaking, he hoped, would enable him to be good in sales.
He said he was grateful to County Lions for supporting him and meeting his costs for the speech competitions.
