Speaking in front of a crowd can be intimidating for most people, but this is not the case for 17-year-old Mirene Magousis.

Mirene won first place in the Victorian state Rostrum Voice of Youth public speaking competition, part of a national annual event that Rostrum clubs have been running since 1975, with over 2,000 participating students from 500 schools all over Australia.

Representing Good News Lutheran College at the state finals in Melbourne last Sunday, the young talent stood out among 15 or so finalists, with the win also paving the way to the national final to be held in Perth on 28 July.

Speaking to Neos Kosmos, Mirene says she is up for the challenge, but most importantly feels satisfied for making it this far, and proud to represent the younger Greek Australian generation in the competition.

“The way I see it, it’s not just me representing my school, but I also feel I’m representing Greece in the competition. I am really proud of my Greek descent,” she explains.

Her parents hail from Kalambaka, where she was born before coming to Melbourne at a young age.

Mirene competed in the Rostrum competition’s Senior Division (Years 10-12) presenting a prepared eight-minute speech along with a three-minute impromptu speech on a given topic at the time.

Her performance was assessed based on criteria related to both the impact on the intellect, such as language and content, as well the impact on emotion, including the elements visual impact and audience appeal.

When asked to share tips for aspiring participants in the competition, Mirene says “Firstly, have a go and try it. Whether you go up there and do great or horrible, at least you’ve tested your skills and learnt something new.”

She adds that when in competition it’s important to make sure that you read the criteria carefully to ensure your speech includes everything you are being assessed on.

“Finally, when you do any kind of public speaking, be it in a competition or class or wherever, I would say simply be calm and have confidence in yourself.”

Whatever the path she chooses to follow in her studies, Mirene is adamant she will continue being involved in public speaking, reiterating that this has given her the opportunity to feel she is representing Greek Australian youth.

“Greece is still alive amongst our youth,” she says. “If I could give a message to the young generation of Greek Australians, I would encourage them to step out there and learn about our culture and proudly represent being Greek.”

Mirene with her parents after winning the Rostrum Voice of Youth competition Victorian finals.