Junior Nathan Daniel Silao has advanced through the first two rounds of the Lions Club Speech Contest with an original speech focused on this year’s topic, “Youth Mental Health: Overcoming Barriers to Well-Being.”
For Silao, the competition is about more than public speaking. He said his motivation for entering is tied to both his future goals and the financial realities of college.
“What inspired me to enter this competition is how I want to help alleviate the amount that my family has to pay for my education,” said Silao. “Having the chance to be able to help pay for my own college fees is something I want to help lift off the shoulders of my family.”
Each contestant writes and delivers an original speech before judges and a live audience.
Silao said his speech encourages people to prioritize their own well-being.
“My speech is about being healthily selfish for you to live life more on your own terms.”
Writing the speech required patience as he worked to develop a piece long enough for the contest format.
“Preparing for the competition, the essay took me 10 days to write actually,” said Silao. “It took me quite a while to think of what to write.”
His previous experience with public speaking also helped him feel more comfortable presenting in front of judges and an audience.
“Coming from the Philippines, most of our work there is quite rigorous, particularly in the public speaking field,” said Silao. “Last year we were given performance tasks worth half of our grade where we would give extemporaneous speeches, impromptu speeches, and sometimes memorize lines and recite them in front of the class.”
Although speaking in front of a class differs from addressing a public audience, Silao said those experiences helped him manage the pressure.
“I believe I was able to get through the contest through my experiences of being pressured to speak in front of an audience,” he said. “I’ve been through the anxiety before!”
Practicing in front of others also helped him prepare for the competition.
“What mainly helped me prepare for the contest is being able to practice in person to my teachers and friends,” said Silao. “They were able to help me feel what it’s like to speak in such a large audience.”
Silao has already competed in two rounds of the contest. The first round took place Feb. 12 in Ridgecrest, followed by another round Feb. 18 in California City, where he competed against students from Tehachapi and California City. His next competition will take place Mar. 21 in Bakersfield.
With his speech already memorized, Silao is preparing mentally for the next round.
“I feel nervous—and excited,” he said. “I feel like there’s a wave of anxiety waiting for me as the day of the next competition creeps closer, but I’ll be sure to handle and overcome it with courage and pride.”
Silao’s AVID Teacher Ernestina Palerm Wilson called his commitment to perfecting the speech inspiring.
“I hope he wins in Bakersfield but it’s fantastic that he will be representing BHS and Ridgecrest at this event.”
English teacher Rosemary Gilbert was another teacher who served as a practice audience and is rooting for Silao’s success.
“After one practice session, the half-dozen students who made up the audience were so impressed with Nathan’s ability to recite his eight-minute speech, make eye contact with the audience, and comfortably move around the stage,” said Gilbert. “His AVID and English teachers are so proud of him!”
