Studio City Resident Competes in Toastmasters World Championship

With an inspiring speech about overcoming the challenges of being in an interracial relationship, Jon White, a Toastmaster from Studio City, qualifies to compete in the final round of the Toastmasters 2013 World Championship of Public Speaking on Saturday, Aug. 24, in Cincinnati, Ohio. For real-time competition results, watch the event via live stream beginning at 8:30 a.m. EDT , or follow @Toastmasters on Twitter (#TIConv13).

In the finals competition, White will deliver a speech titled “Big,” describing how strengthening his relationship with his daughter helped him deal with other difficult issues. White, a member of Century City Toastmasters club, (District One), impressed and entertained the crowd at the Toastmasters International Speech Contest Semifinals held on August 22 in Cincinnati. Says White, “I love both the thrill of competing and of impacting audiences.”

White, an investment banker for O’Connor & Company Securities, progressed through a six-month process of elimination in the world’s largest speech contest, reaching the top nine finalists from a pool of 30,000 competitors. 

A panel of 14 Toastmasters judges evaluate the finalists on a range of criteria, including speech content, organization, voice quality and gestures. The five- to seven-minute speeches cover wide-ranging topics. (Watch video of top 2012 winners.)

The speech contest highlights the annual four-day Toastmasters International Convention, which draws a capacity audience of some 1,500 people from around the world. Contenders in Toastmasters clubs from 122countries enter the contest on a local level, progressing through club, area, division and district competitions.

About District One

District One is one of 89 districts around the world. It comprises more than 149 corporate and community clubs in the greater Los Angeles area. To learn more, please visit www.tmdistrictone.org.

About Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations. Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, the organization’s membership exceeds 292,000 in more than 14,350 clubs in 122 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people of all backgrounds become more confident in front of an audience. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org. Follow @Toastmasters on Twitter.