In a recent interview, Nora explained how she started public speaking and shared her unique experience of speaking competitively for several years.

Introduction of Nora
Nora Zhu is currently a grade eleven student at Southridge School who has competed at numerous tournaments as a public speaker. Her most notable achievements include, most recently, placing 7th at the World Individual Debate and Public Speaking Competitions—an international speech competition where the best public speakers of every nation go to compete annually—and placing as the top speaker at Provincials in British Columbia.

A fun fact of Nora is that she is deathly allergic to cherries, but still occasionally decides to eat cherry ice cream at Granville Island with her friends.

What Do You Do?
I am extremely passionate about the Speech Arts, which has led me to compete in various Speech Competitions internationally. The most recent competition in which I competed was WIDPSC (World Individual Debate and Public Speaking Competition), which involved participants from South Africa, England, the US, and Korea, to name a few.

How Was Your Experience at WIDPSC 2020?
I was incredibly nervous not only because it was my first time attending WIDPSC, but also because I was one of the youngest competitors at the event. I also knew that there would be phenomenal public speakers from across the world competing which added to my anxiety. This year was different in that the event was held online for the first time ever. I was amazed as to how much work was put into the event to ensure that the competition ran smoothly. Overall, I enjoyed being able to showcase my hard work at WIDPSC 2020 and appreciate the lessons and friendships I gained from the experience.

What Made You Start Your Activity?
I was always a talkative kid who adored the spotlight, so naturally, to curb my overenthusiastic recountings of daily events, my mom signed me up for a public speaking camp at the age of 8. In retrospect, it probably had less to do with her wanting to cultivate a public speaker and more to do with her wanting me to stop constantly annoying her by being a blabbermouth.

Why Do You Love Public Speaking?
As someone who greatly enjoys talking and telling stories especially, I find public speaking to be the perfect creative outlet. It allows me to weave compelling narratives and tell the stories that I think are most deserving of a voice, sharing them with others around the world.

Also, public speaking can take multiple forms. For example, at provincials and even at worlds, participants are judged in four key categories: Debate, Persuasive Speaking, Impromptu Speaking, and Interpretative Reading. Public speaking has forced me to be flexible and enhanced my ability to adapt to new situations efficiently.

Any Plans for the Future With This Activity?
I plan on continuing to compete in various tournaments and events throughout my high school career, and hope to further my love of the speech arts in university as well.

Any Words of Advice or Tips for Other Students Thinking About Pursuing Speech?
My biggest piece of advice would probably be to be confident in yourself. I find that oftentimes we tend to discount our voice and what we have to share with the world, which can end up hindering us more than helping us. So, if you are someone who wants to pursue public speaking or the speech arts, the best thing for you to do is to just be confident in what you have to say and who you are.