Young Enterprise Speaker of the Year
Jessica Bainbridge (16) always wanted to be part of Young Enterprise and on joining the Sixth Form (Year 12) this year, her wish was granted and she became a member of ‘OLD SKOOL’ the name chosen by the student Directors for this year’s Young Enterprise company.
Jessica has added a further dream come true to her growing list by winning the North East Kent Young Enterprise Speakers’ competition, beating 3 other finalists on 4 February at The Guildhall in Canterbury. Although Jessica had never done any public speaking before in her life she loves drama and volunteered for the role of speaker.
Her task was to speak for seven minutes on the topic of significant housing development in over the next ten years and its implications on work and living conditions in the area. Jessica wrote the speech herself and practised it until she felt confident. Not only was the content judged to be the best that day but she was the only candidate to last the full seven minutes.
Jessica then went on to the Kent County Final in Maidstone on 14th February, representing North East Kent – where she won, against six other contestants representing the other areas of the county - and only her second public speaking engagement, after all!
“This was an outstanding achievement, as the Chair of Judges stated, as the standard of competition rises year on year,” said Business Studies teacher Gordon Bryant, in charge of running the Young Enterprise scheme at St. Lawrence College. “There was a very high class field,” he continued, “But Jessica managed to win over all three judges with her animated and passionate speech about housing development in !” The judges unanimously voted her the winner.
As this Young Enterprise public speaking competition is at the moment unique to Kent, this is as far as Jessica can go. She was presented with a trophy and £50-worth of NEXT vouchers as winner of the Kent Finals. “It’s a double-dream come true!” said Jessica today. “I’m ABSOLUTELY thrilled to bits!”
