Youth News
A Dominant Performance on Friday by Oklahoma FFA Capped by Public Speaking Championship by McKenzie Walta of Kingfisher
Sat, 24 Oct 2009 7:19:16 CDT
Oklahoma has a National Champion in Prepared Public Speaking. McKenzie Walta, who has been in the finals in two other national FFA contests in Indianapolis the past two years, served up Green Eggs and Ham and the judges thought it was the tastiest speech of the day in the Final Four of the Prepared Speech category. This picture shows McKenzie Walta on the National Finals stage as she delivered her speech for the final time in competition.
The reason I mention the Dr. Seuss menu item is that the title of her speech is "Green Eggs and Ham" and in it she discusses the potential of the "enviropig" which is a genetically modified hog that is being developed by Canadian scientists.McKenzie tells us that she has lived with this little fella for almost a year, having first started writing the speech last December and giving it almost daily last spring in leading up to the State FFA Convention, where she won the Prepared Public Speaking category, earning this trip to Indianapolis and the chance to spread the Enviropig message a little further.
Two years ago, Walta was second in the National FFA Creed Contest and last year she was part of the Parliamentary Procedure team from Kingfisher FFA that made the Final Five. Third time was a charm for this Kingfisher High School Senior as she takes the big prize in the Public Speaking category.
Walta was a part of a Dominant performance by Oklahoma FFA members on Friday, as Oklahoma FFA won not just this speech contest, but also got word that the Job Interview competition was won by Chacey Schoeppel of Fairview FFA, Horse Team Judging had Oklahoma in first place, won by the Locust Grove FFA Chapter (Team members included Ashley Moulder, Bayley Bedford, Chance Cunningham and Robbie Williams) and as reported last night, a record 11 National Proficiency Awards were garnered by Oklahoma FFA members. (we have profiles of all 11 winners on our Blue Green Gazette page)
We have a conversation that we had with McKenzie about the speech and her involvement with FFA. Click on the Listen Bar to listen.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
