Jacqueline Yan is going to put her powers of speech to a stern test Friday (June 5) at BC Place Stadium.
The 17-year-old, Grade 11 student from Hugh Boyd secondary will be representing B.C. in the public speaking category at the 19th annual Skills Canada National Competition.
Yans road to the event described as an Olympic-style, multi-trade and technology competition for more than 500 young students and apprentices from across Canada started at a recent Remembrance Day event at her school.
There, she was one of the emcees. And her performance prompted one of her teachers to suggest she try out for the competition.
Ita a skill Yan said she developed while part of her schools incentive program from Grade 8 to 10, which often had students present topics verbally and through performances.
But its one thing to be able to do that in front of classmates, and another to stand before a whole school population like at the Remembrance Day event, she said.
That was something new for me, but it was nice to see my teacher recognize my ability, Yan said, admitting she is not immune from being nervous before stepping in front of an audience.
I do, just like most everyone else, get butterflies. But once I get up there, I calm myself down, get into a routine and feel a lot more comfortable.
One of the other keys is being well prepared to speak on the subject at hand.
For the competition Friday, Yan will deliver a speech she wrote on a pre-determined topic based on skilled trades in Canada. Specifically for Yan, that means how Skills Canada encourages the next generation to look at career options.
Each competitor will have five to seven minutes to deliver their speech.
Following that, the judges will ask each speaker two questions that must be responded to within one minute.
So far, Yan has done well with the challenge, topping the regional and provincial competitions to be the public speaking categorys sole representative from B.C.
Her public speaking journey was supposed to have concluded at provincials because B.C. was one province not originally sending someone to the national event.
This was supposed to be a trial year, Yan said. But I had a chance to speak to an audience at the provincial competition that included some of the events organizers and sponsors who were so impressed they invited me to the nationals.
Following the BC Place competition, Yan said she plans to keep her options open when it comes to selecting a career path.
I know from being in this competition and being involved with Skills Canada, I am much more aware of the potential that lies in the skilled trades, she said. Whereas before, I think I was like a lot of other high school students very narrow-minded about having the college and university way drilled into them.
But now, I know, thats not the only way. Theres so many other options, especially in apprenticeship programs.
For more about the Skills Canada National Competition, visit http://skillscompetencescanada.com.
