The 2009 Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture (CYSA) competition was held at the Royal Winter Fair on November 7, 2009. This annual event has a junior and senior division that allows youth across Canada the opportunity to show off their passion for agriculture and amazing public speaking skills. This year’s contest hosted 6 junior entries and 16 senior entries from 6 different provinces across Canada. Each competitor chose a topic about agriculture from a set list, prepared and delivered a 5-7 minute speech in front of an audience and panel of judges.
This year’s competition marks the 25th anniversary. The competition is truly an amazing opportunity for the leaders of tomorrow to come forth and share their thoughts on the agriculture industry. For the last 25 years this competition has also worked on being an information source for uninformed individuals to learn more about the industry itself helping bridge the gap between urban and rural communities.
I was fortunate enough to be a part of this year’s CYSA competition. There were many amazing young speakers sharing their insight on the agriculture industry and why it means so much to them. As a member of Professor Owen Roberts’ agriculture communication class I was able to sharpen my public speaking skills enough to allow me to win the senior division of the competition. It was an amazing experience to be involved in and I thank everyone who has helped me along the way. I hope that I can continue to be an avid promoter of agriculture and can continue to inspire others to take interest and develop a passion for this outstanding industry.
2009 Canadian Young Speaker for Agriculture Senior Champion
Congratulations, Cindy. This is a very humble post for someone who won a national championship.
I’m certain you will get many opportunities to promote agriculture through public speaking.