EA Announces Winners of International Speech Competition
c/o Eloquence Academy
Eloquence Academy is pleased to announce the results of its inaugural speech competition.
The competition was open to any student, in any country, enrolled in an accredited primary school, secondary school, or college/university. Students in academic gap years or semesters were also eligible to participate. From June 1, 2024 through September 15, 2024, the competition received hundreds of impressive entries from more than 10 countries, Georgia, India, Malaysia, and Uzbekistan.
Each participant was asked to record a brief 5-7 minute speech that succinctly analyzed a vexing issue facing their community, proposed an innovative solution, and offered a “call to action.” The competition showcased the incredible diversity of youth voices, who impassionately tackled topics ranging from climate change, mental health awareness, access to healthcare, book bans in schools, social media misinformation, and more. Each and every speech reflected excellence in public speaking, rhetorical skills, critical thinking, and social awareness.
“We are incredibly proud of our participants and the thoughtful yet eager responses they brought to the competition,” said Spencer Chaisanguanthum, Chief Executive Officer of Eloquence Academy. “We are equally grateful for our volunteers, implementation partners, and donors who helped bring this idea to life. By empowering students to research, understand, and advocate, we are developing the next generation of dynamic leaders and changemakers who can tackle society’s most complex problems head-on.”
Over the course of two months, participants were judged by some of the foremost leaders in the field of public speaking and public policy on a range of criteria including creativity, the clarity and relevance of their message, ability to incorporate research, and delivery. The following winners will receive scholarships, mentorship, and opportunities to further hone their speaking and leadership skills with the Academy. In addition, winning speeches are featured on our YouTube page.
Janet Adeyemi
Taim Almograbi
Maria Deskur
Saanvi Gunukula
Yasmeen Nasser Aldine
Mahnoor Osman
Neha Ramachandran
Braden Yian
Honorable mentions are extended to twenty-five additional students: Muhammad Abdullah, Kevin Chen, Xintang (Luna) Gu, Xindi Gu, Esmeralda Hernandez, Aarav Jain, Ria Kumari, Estelle Lee, Brady Ma, Rayansh Maheshwari, Vedant Maheshwari, Ayesha Malik, Devishi Manhas, Megavarshan, Riya Mehrotra, Priya Mishra, Naima Nadeem, Tahsi Tahnun E Rabbani, Mubassera Rahman, Zoraiz Al Raz, Akhil Reddy, Cailin Rugema, Shreya Shobankumar, Ziyi Wang, and Jan Yeeun.
For more information about the competition, or to inquire about the 2025 edition and future competition(s), please visit eloquenceacademy.org or contact finance@eloquenceacademy.org.
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Eloquence Academy, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and 509(a)(2) public charity dedicated to increasing equitable academic debate opportunities for rural and historically underserved students. The Academy offers debate classes, summer camps, workshops, tournaments, in-school programs, and online resources for 2,200+ students across 35 states and 15 countries. Ultimately, EA aims to prepare youth for college readiness, career engagement, and community impact through the transferable skills gained from debate.
