Celebrating National Scholarship Success

Celebrating Success -was all the work worth it?

Congratulations to Bella Zhang – The Speech NZ ASB & AASB PS Founders' Scholarship Winner. We are very proud of Bella's hard work to achieve a National Scholarship and we also want to honour her teacher and Mrs Caisley who supported Bella at every stage with excellent teaching. Whilst studying at Ten Feet Tall, Bella was exceptional in her ability to manage her time and achieve her goals.

The question we had for Bella - what is she up to? And, was all the hard work worth it?

When did you start your Public Speaking training with Ten Feet Tall and why did you start? Was it you wanting to do it or was it lead by your parents?

I started Public Speaking Training with Ten Feet Tall in Year 11. My mum first proposed taking public speaking to me as she believed communication skills are very valuable.

What are you studying and at which university?

I am currently doing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Economics and Psychology at the University of Melbourne.

How has Public Speaking classes been useful?

I think my public speaking studies have been useful in two main aspects. Firstly, every subject has some kind of oral presentation where you present research or findings in front of a class. Having prior public speaking training not only reduces pre-presentation nerves but also allows me to present with confidence and fluidity. There is also the advantage of knowing how to create engaging visual aids to support my presentation rather than take attention away from what I'm saying. Secondly, having the public speaking diploma looks quite nice on a CV and it has gotten me some opportunities for various positions in societies and clubs at uni.

What advice would you give to a High School student now that you are well into your degree regarding Public Speaking Training?

Firstly, I would highly encourage High School students to develop a time management system that suits them. High school is a busy time where you need to balance academics with many extracurricular activities such as Public Speaking, often extracurriculars can be sacrificed for academics but that doesn't need to be the case when you have good time management. I found that allocating regular time each week for my extracurriculars actually eased stress from academics instead of adding to it.

Secondly, I would encourage students to continue to the diploma level of Public Speaking and Communications as these skills are very applicable in university and future work settings. Completing the senior grades not only gives you a certificate of recognition but more importantly valuable skills that allow you to stand out in future presentations.

Apart from being exceptionally hard working and successful Bella is a kind, humble, lovely person who always gives her best. We wish her well with her future studies.