The Blue Cross chapter of the National Management Association (NMA) and Toastmasters International are once again holding the annual NMA Leadership Speech Contest for high school students. Students have the opportunity to write and deliver a four- to six-minute speech on the topic of “leadership.” The competition is open to any high school student, grades 9 to 12, in southeast Michigan. The top three winners of the southeast Michigan contest will receive scholarship awards of $500, $250 and $100. The first place winner will go forward to the regional contest, with first and second place awards of $1,000 and $500. The top four regional finalists move on to the national speech competition, where they will compete for awards of $4,000, $1,000 and two $500 scholarships. The potential total scholarship award is $5,500.
Ninth grader Sachi Arora, placed third nationally in the 2015 NMA Leadership Speech Contest Blue Cross has been hosting this competition for local teens for 20 years. Last year, ninth grader Sachi Arora won the local contest, placed second at the regional level and came in third nationally. She traveled to Reno, Nevada for the national competition, earning $1,500 in scholarships along the way. More than that, Sachi learned about leadership and developed communication skills. Think you know someone who may be interested? Now is the time for southeast Michigan high school students to enter the 2016 contest. To enter, students must submit their speech draft, the student entry form and a consent form to NmaSpeechContest@bcbsm.com with the subject 'NMA Speech Contest Entry.' The deadline for a southeast Michigan high school student to enter is Friday, Jan. 15, 2016. The local contest will be held on Feb. 17, 2016. More details can be found online at Blue Cross' Leadership Speech Contest website. For more ways that Blue Cross supports kids in the Michigan community, check out these blogs:
- Batter Up! Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Challenges Kids to Train Like an All-Star
- Michigan Kids Can be a “Turkey Day VIP” by Winning Kids’ Health Contest Sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the Detroit Lions
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Detroit Lions Team Up to Tackle Childhood Obesity With #MIKidsCan Play Like a Lion Challenge
Photo credit: Caleb Roenigk
