Mia McGettigan, a student from Deele College in Raphoe, has been announced as the winner of the recent Rotary Youth Leadership Development Competition organised by the Strabane and Lifford Rotary Club.
This competition, which is run annually by Rotary Club Ireland, judges students on their knowledge of topical issues, leadership abilities and debating skills.
Mia was the winner of the local competition, after giving an excellent presentation on the issue of mental health in our society.
The competition, which was hosted in the Fir Trees in Strabane saw students from East Donegal and Tyrone compete for the coveted award.
Students are given a topic to discuss and twenty minutes to prepare a presentation, which is given in front of a panel of six judges. Students are awarded for their content, delivery and their knowledge of local, national and international issues.
Mia will now go forward to represent the Strabane/Lifford Rotary Club at the regional finals in Enniskillen on November the 24th, where she will compete against students from across Connaught and Ulster.
Commenting on her success, Principal, Mr Joe Boyle praised the achievements of the Transition Year student. “Mia is an excellent ambassador for our school and it is such a brilliant achievement for her to win the local competition. We have not had a winner in this prestigious competition for some time and it is testament to Mia’s hard work and dedication that she impressed the judges in the way she did.
“I know that she will go to the regional finals and represent our school with distinction and we are all hoping that she can impress the judges once again. I would also like to thank the local Rotary Club for giving our students the opportunity to compete in this type of competition.”
As this is a nationwide competition, Mia is in with a chance of landing the lucrative prize of a trip to Brussels to visit the European Parliament as part of an Irish delegation. Mia is currently studying hard for her next presentation and everyone at Deele College would like to wish her all the best.