Neighbor News
Olivia Fryling Wins Rotary Area 4 Speech Contest
Winning speech honored individuals who devote themselves to serving others
Olivia Fryling, a senior at Redwood Christian Middle and High School, San Lorenzo, earned top honors March 18 at the Rotary Area 4 Level Richard D. King Annual Youth Speech Contest with a presentation paying homage to individuals who devote themselves to serving others.
In her speech, Fryling highlighted the guidance they and their organizations provided to help her cope with emotional challenges during her sophomore and junior years in high school. The positive experiences set her on a course she hopes will lead to a career in child psychology.
“It is easy to say this is not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem,” she said. “Then there are those people who see the need, and they respond. I consider those people my heroes.”
Find out what's happening in Pleasantonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
She added that Rotary International opens opportunities in similar ways by responding when it sees a need, such as eradicating polio, sponsoring clean water projects, supporting education, saving mothers and children, or providing disaster relief, all objectives of its programs in the U.S. and around the world.
Fryling, who represented the Rotary Club of Castro Valley, was awarded a $200 cash prize. She will move on to Northern Regional competition April 2 for an opportunity to become one of four finalists to compete for district honors and a $1000 cash prize April 24 at the District 5170 Training Assembly.
Find out what's happening in Pleasantonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Brooke Nunes, a senior at Moreau Catholic High School, Hayward, placed second, and Regina Molitoris, a junior at Granada High School, Livermore, was third in a field of eight contestants.
Sponsored by Rotary District 5170, the annual youth speech contest helps high school students in Alameda, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties recognize the importance of effective public speaking and gives them opportunities to develop oration skills, which this year were applied in a virtual Zoom format. The Rotary Clubs of Dublin, Castro Valley, Hayward, Livermore, Livermore Valley, Pleasanton, Pleasanton North, and Tri-Valley Evening participated in the District 4 contest.