Every year, veteran English teacher and soon-to-be retiree Bob Brandwood leaves the Senior Public-Speaking Contest confident he could place at least two of the top three speeches of the night. But this year was different. One by one, the 12 speakers stepped up to the podium, and by their speech’s end, they had the audience hanging on their every word. 

“Each speech was simply excellent and left me gob-smacked and feeling sorry for the judges,” Mr. Brandwood remarks. “The range was remarkable—from the philosophical to the comedic, the speeches were thoughtful, well-crafted and effectively delivered. I could easily justify awarding any one of the twelve speakers first prize.”

The lineup was impressive. Atlas Akinyemiju ’25 spoke of the home we build within ourselves, while Anastasiia Feskova ’25 recalled the story of finding her voice at Blair. Fionna Lee ’25 expressed how music opened portals to different times of her life before Fede Rodriguez ’25 explained how she felt caught between two worlds. Yasha Kan ’25 reflected on finding meaning and purpose through helping others, followed by Chase Chapski ’25, who dished out lessons he learned working in a kitchen. Mackenzie Smith ’25 connected the work she did with local police officers to the memory of her grandfather, and Audrey Bean ’25 encouraged others to find their passion (and maybe join her knitting cult). Levin Li ’25 delighted the audience with a tale of finding courage in unexpected situations, then Riley Bacinski ’25 shared the importance of self care. Leilah Elkholy ’25 described the life lessons learned in the subway before Avery Cheng ’25 closed with a reflection on the concept of time and being present in little moments. 

“The variety and depth of their words, their sense of humor, and the energy of their presentations were exciting and inspiring,” English department chair and contest director Jim Moore, Hon. ’93, notes. “The only people who had a difficult time were the judges.”

In the end, it was Fede who was crowned champion at School Meeting Monday, with second place awarded to Chase and third to Levin. As the march toward Commencement nears its end, the words of our soon-to-be graduates will remain with the Blair community long after they’ve left.

“What a wonderful tradition the Senior Speech Competition has become,” Mr. Brandwood remarks. “This year’s might just draw me back next year. Long may it continue to thrive!”