Shirine Nehme will take the stage again on Thursday. Photo: Facebook.
Teenage public-speaking ace Shirine Nehme, who wowed crowds at Griffith’s inaugural TEDx event last year, will reclaim the spotlight in the town on Thursday (12 June).
The 16-year-old will speak again in the Parliament’s Regional Roadshow, where high school students in Griffith and the wider area can take part in a Public-Speaking Competition and a Youth Forum to discuss issues they’re passionate about.
The Marion Catholic College student will talk about the education system, with a focus on the barriers regional students like her face when trying to attend university.
“I’m still focusing mainly on the healthcare system [in my speech], but more of a focus on university students and medical students,” Shirine said.
“I personally want to pursue a career in medicine. It’s a topic of interest for me, but I’m also going to be talking on a broader scale about the inaccessibility of university for students in regional and rural areas.”
Students from rural and regional Australia have been calling for extra financial assistance and support to move near their campus, as universities are often built in or near big cities.
In fact, students from regional Australia often draw the short end of the stick when it comes to resources.
Kids in Coolamon are forced to wait for their school bus next to cars going past them at 100 km/h, and a Griffith high school was seen advertising for a principal for a third time.
Even for someone who has represented her region before, Shirine still feels the nerves before she takes the stage.
“I feel once I’m actually on there, because I’m so passionate and have pride in the work and the content of my speech, I feel the nerves kind of fade away as I talk,” she said.
“Although stats and facts matter, I think it’s very important to have a combination of objective facts but also emotional stories, especially if you can integrate your own personal story into that.
“Many of the people in the audience are never going to have heard your unique perspective and experience.”
Shirine encourages young people to try public speaking, which helps build confidence and develop leadership.
“I would definitely recommend starting on a smaller scale,” she said.
“So for me, personally, my father really wanted me to have the skill of public speaking, just if I needed the skill I would be able to use it.
“So I would regularly read at church, and that was kind of a small audience where I was familiar with some of the people, and because I was doing it regularly, I gradually gained confidence.
“But also, if you’re passionate and confident in the content of your speech, I also find that helps, because you’re so excited to share what you’ve discovered and your perspective with others.”
The Griffith Roadshow will be held at Griffith Regional Theatre on 12 June. The Public-Speaking Competition will run from 2 to 4 pm, and the Youth Forum will be held from 5:30 to 7 pm.
