Powerful Voices

This month, the Upper School community gathered in the Harris Theater to hear the Upper School Speech Finalists deliver their speeches. Upper School students have been busy polishing their prose and perfecting their delivery, and the finals are the culmination of all their work. Every student wrote and delivered a speech in their English class. The best speeches from each class are chosen to move on to the semi-finals, and from that group, twelve finalists are chosen. 

The speeches are always organized around a theme, and this year, students were asked to write about a time when they truly lived in the moment and what they learned about the impact of that choice. As English Department Chair Mary Munkenbeck noted in her opening remarks, “It turns out, living in the moment is a tall order…There are so many other things we tend to make space for that distract us.” Students told deeply personal stories about moments when self-consciousness prevented them from engaging, of discovering faith, or finding the courage to take a leap that pushed them beyond their comfort zone. Through beautifully crafted and delivered speeches, the finalists inspired our community with reflections on joy, strength, and meaning found in the present moment. While the topics were wide-ranging, each finalist was thoughtful and generous in sharing a part of themselves with the audience. Selected by faculty judges, the winner of the speech competition will receive the Choate Public Speaking Award on Prize Day. Congratulations to all the finalists!