16 Jun 2025
Vice Captain Mariam Fatima Syeda spoke about mental health in front of the President of the NSW Legislative Council the Hon. Ben Franklin and local State Member of Parliament Mrs Helen Dalton MP at last week’s NSW Public Speaking Competition.
The competition was held at the Griffith Regional Theatre last Thursday and saw students from as far afield as Mildura speak. Entries were open to students in Years 10 to 12. The contestants had to prepare a six-minute speech on one of six topics, with finalists winning a cash prize and an opportunity to compete at a state level.
Mariam chose to speak the topic do not go gently as the vehicle for her presentation on the lack of mental health resources in rural and remote Australia. It is clearly an issue that is near and dear to Mariam’s heart, as mental health in regional Australia was a topic she covered at the same event last year.
“I feel like I’m gaslighting myself into thinking I’m excited and not nervous,” Mariam reported before her speech.
“Mental health in rural and regional Australia hasn’t really gotten much better over the years, so I feel it is something that really needs to be talked about.”
“I don’t really mind if I win or not,” Mariam adds, “I just want one person in the audience to reflect on my speech later. That would be perfect happiness for me.”
Mariam was joined by school captains Aaron Dawson and Ella Gaske at a youth forum afterwards where students could discuss issues affecting their communities with Mr Franklin and Ms Dalton.
Well done on speaking in front of so many VIPs on such an important issue, Mariam!
