Year 12 Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) student Mikayla Botting was awarded first place in the New Zealand Lions Young Speechmaker Contest district final in Gore last weekend.

Mikayla - along with Xander Maguire (year 13), Ruby Smith (year 12), and Dani Maguire (year 12) - each presented a five-to-six minute prepared speech, and a one-to-two minute impromptu speech (with one minute's preparation).

Mikayla won the event from a field of 18 students from across Otago and Southland, delivering a powerful speech on global gender equality, with a focus on the injustices faced by women in Afghanistan.

"I chose the protection of equality as my speech topic as it is a very important message to be speaking on in our current world climate,” Mikayla said. 

“My speech centres around women and girl's rights in Afghanistan and how their equality is destroyed.”

She said the situation for women and girls in Afghanistan has “continuously gone unnoticed”, which is “heartbreaking”.

From left: Colleen Carr from the Wānaka Upper Clutha Lions Club, Ruby Smith (Y12), Xander Maguire (Y13), Dani Maguire (Y12), Mikayla Botting (Y12), and Joanne Waide (MAC head of learning area English).

“This shaped my speech into a plea for awareness, that we all need to remember how lucky we have it in New Zealand and remember how important it is to protect equality. It is equality that protects diversity. It is diversity that allows for human connection." 

Mikayla said she had undertaken months of research for the competition.

“The impromptu speech was scary, but I gained valuable experience from it,” she said.

Mikayla will proceed to the national final in New Plymouth on August 2, along with students from Southland Girls and Central Southland who placed second and third respectively.

PHOTOS: Supplied