Year 10 student Ysmene Ostik-Smith wins Robert Menzies Institute Speech Competition

One of Wesley College’s most notable alumni, Sir Robert Menzies (OW1912), Australia’s longest serving Prime Minister, has continued to inspire a new generation of students both at Wesley College and beyond through the Robert Menzies Institute’s Speech Competition.

Two students from our St Kilda Road Campus finished among the top three competitors, with Year 10 student Ysmene Ostik-Smith named the overall winner. Year 9 student, Allan Huang, placed third.

Ysmene was invited to speak at the annual Robert Menzies Institute conference, held in November.

‘This was my first time speaking at a conference and I was quite nervous, as I was in a room full of Menzies experts,’ said Ysmene.  ‘However, I was made to feel really welcome and engaged in some interesting conversations with a number of the attendees. It was definitely an experience to remember.’

Students researched and spoke on the topic of ‘a successful nation is an education nation,’ with reference to Menzies’ educational policies.

As Ysmene explained in her speech, ‘An educated nation is simply a country with educated inhabitants, and that was what Menzies believed would lead to the success of the nation.’ As Ysmene highlighted, for Menzies, the goal of education was to give each student a ‘general knowledge of the world’ in addition to ‘specialist knowledge’ in their chosen field of study.

He placed particular emphasis on the role of humanities in ‘building well-rounded and cultured citizens’ and was himself recognised for his flair for language and success in English and History while a student at the College.

It’s fitting then that the oratory competition gave Ysmene, Allan and their fellow students their own opportunities to broaden their general knowledge of the world. For Ysmene in particular, it complemented her formal study of the Humanities and English as well.

‘As a relative newcomer to Australia, this experience gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in Australian political history. Speaking at the conference shaped my learning at Wesley, and it was an experience I will cherish forever,’ Ysmene says.

Congratulations to Ysemene and Allan on their wonderful results in this competition.