Speech Contest Info
2025 SPEECH CONTEST
The Rotary Club of Augusta sponsors a speech contest for high school students in Richmond and Columbia Counties. Started in 1997, the Preston Johnson Annual High School Speech Contest engages Rotarians, educators, and students in District 6920 in a meaningful and rewarding opportunity for personal development of our nation ‘s future leaders.
Our club’s 2025 contest was held on February 27, at the Morris Museum of Art (1 10th Street). As in past years, participating students were directed to prepare and present a speech of 3-4 minutes in length on one of two topics. One was the Rotary 4-Way Test:
Of the things that we think, say, or do:
- Is it the TRUTH?
- Is it FAIR to all concerned?
- Will it build GOODWILL and better FRIENDSHIPS?
- Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
The second topic was the Rotary International President’s theme for 2024-2025, “THE MAGIC OF ROTARY,” a call for Rotary to “recognize and amplify the organization’s power to save lives.”
This year’s contest winners competed among 17 students from seven high schools in Richmond and Columbia Counties, both public and private.
| 1st Place | Jamison Rookard | 11th Grade at Aquinas High School |
| 2nd Place | ||
Coralyn Cairns 12th Grade at Lakeside High School
3rd Place Vithyash Ayyappan 11th Grade at Evans High School
4th Place Genevieve Jones 12th Grade at Grovetown High School
Honorable Mentions Ibraheem Hassan 11th Grade at Lakeside High School
Claire Seeger 11th Grade at Aquinas High School
Anthony Walker 10th Grade at A.R. Johnson Health Science And Engineering Magnet School
On March 3, Jamison Rookard and Coralyn Cairns presented their winning speeches to the Rotary Club of Augusta at its annual Youth Day Celebration, where the meeting was led entirely by high schoolers from area Rotary Interact Clubs. Awards were presented to all winners during the meeting.
Interested in participating in the 2026 Speech Contest? Registration will open in October 2025.
To learn more about Rotary International’s global impact since its founding in 1905, go to www.Rotary.org. Think about what this concept means in our divided world and how subscribing to this principle could help reduce the differences among us.
2025 SPEECH CONTEST
The Rotary Club of Augusta sponsors a speech contest for high school students in Richmond and Columbia Counties. The 1st place award is $1,000 and the 2nd place award is $750. Both winners will then compete at the Rotary Zone level. The Zone winner will present his or her winning speech at the Rotary District Conference in April 2024 where he or she will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship.
The Rotary Club of Augusta contest will be on February 27, 2025 at the Morris Museum of Art (1 10th Street) beginning at 8:30 a.m. The 1st and 2nd place winners will present their speeches to the Rotary Club of Augusta at its meeting at noon on March 3, 2025, where they will receive their awards. PARENTS ARE URGED TO ATTEND THE PRESENTATIONS at the Morris Museum and at the Rotary Club meeting at Enterprise Mill, 1450 Greene Street (next to Fat Man’s Café).
Students must prepare and present a speech of 3-4 minutes in length on one of two topics.
One is the Rotary 4-Way Test:
“Of the things that we think, say, or do:
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and better FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?”
If you choose the 4-Way Test as your topic, think about what those principles mean to you personally and how you think applying them in daily life will benefit you and those around you. How will applying these principles help you be successful? For more information, go to www.Rotary.org.
The second topic is the Rotary International President’s theme for 2024-2024, “THE MAGIC OF ROTARY.” The President calls for Rotary to “recognize and amplify the organization’s power to save lives.” To learn more about Rotary International’s global impact since its founding in 1905, go to www.Rotary.org. Think about what this concept means in our divided world and how subscribing to this principle could help reduce the differences among us.
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The Rotary Club of Augusta had a 2024 Speech Contest during February 2024 at the Miller Theater. There were three winners who spoke at the Rotary Club meeting on March 4, 2024. The winners were:
- Sydney Olaiya, Senior, Evans High School
- Lucas Blouin, Junior, Academy of Richmond County
- Coralyn Cairns, Lake High school, Junior
Congratulations to all of the students for their excellent speeches on the Rotary Principles.
The Rotary Club of August
P.O. Box 463
Augusta, GA 30903
Weekly Luncheon Meeting on Mondays
Historic Enterprise Mill
31450 Greene St
August GA 30901
Meeting 12:15-1:30
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