Livermore’s Zoey Bost Wins Rotary Area 4 Speech Contest

Zoey Bost, a senior at Livermore High School, was awarded top honors and Brooke Nunes, a junior at Hayward’s Moreau Catholic High, placed second March 6 at the Rotary Area 4 Level Richard D. King Annual Youth Speech Contest in Pleasanton.

In their five-minute presentations, both spoke of personal and social obstacles overcome with help from Rotary programs in their schools and the many ways “Rotary Connects the World,” the theme for this year’s competition, sponsored by Rotary International District 5170, San Jose. The contest was held at Castlewood Country Club in Pleasanton.

Bost and Nunes received cash awards of $200 and $100, respectively. Bost will move on to regional-level competition later this month for an opportunity to become of one of four finalists to compete for district honors against winning students representing clubs from throughout Alameda, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties and a $1000 prize at the District 5170’s Training Assembly in April. The winner will also present his or her speech at the District 5170 Conference at Casa Real, Pleasanton in May.

Other competitors representing various Area 4 Rotary chapters included Qin (Stella) Chen from Dougherty Valley High School, San Ramon; Miraya Choudhury from Granada High School, Livermore; Hannah Hart from Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, Shrey Raj from Dublin High School; Oliver Zhung from Castro Valley High School; and Julia Zwaan from Foothill High School, Pleasanton.

The youth speech contest to helps emerging student leaders recognize the importance of effective public speaking skills and gives them opportunities to develop them before an audience. It also publicizes the ethical principles of Rotary and impact its 33,000 clubs have upon on the health and vitality of communities around the world. The event is named for Richard D. King, a past governor of District 5170 and past president of the 1.2 million-member Rotary International.