Emma Sun ‘29 came home from Vancouver at the end of May as Canada's national impromptu speaking champion.
The Grade 9 student at St. Michaels University School claimed first place in the impromptu speaking category at the Debate and Speech Association of British Columbia (DSABC) Junior Public Speaking Nationals, held May 28–30 at West Point Grey Academy in Vancouver. Competing against roughly 50 of the country's top junior speakers, she also finished fifth in the overall speaker standings.
The three-day tournament challenged competitors across four categories: debate, persuasive speaking, interpretive reading and impromptu speaking. To earn a spot at nationals, competitors first had to qualify through their provincial championships.
Emma has competed in debate since middle school, but it was at provincials this year that she discovered speech competition and quickly found a format that suited her strengths.
"Speech competition is more like acting, as opposed to debate's rigid logic and quick-wit battle," she said. "I like taking on new personas. I like entertaining people. Speech is a great outlet for me to satisfy both of those passions, while still letting me compete for something meaningful."
Arriving at nationals, Emma wasn't entirely convinced she belonged among the country's top young speakers.
"On the first day, there were bouts of imposter syndrome. Meeting someone, befriending them, then learning later that they destroyed everyone in their province to get to nationals was a wild feeling. I qualified very low in BC at provincials, which gave me a nagging feeling of being in over my head: way beyond my league."
Yet as the tournament progressed, those doubts began to fade. Emma said the anticipation was often harder than the competition itself. Once she stepped onto the stage, the nerves gave way to an unexpected sense of focus.
"I have stage fright. I rehearsed over and over again, and eventually, the adrenaline from performing somehow became one with my intentions: I was so nervous, I became un-nervous. Throughout the three days, I would find a way to somehow fuse the panic with an inhuman sort of focus to create the most powerful mental clarity I've ever felt."
The experience was also shaped by the friendships she formed along the way. What initially seemed like an intimidating field of competitors quickly became a welcoming community of students who shared the same interests and ambitions.
"All of the competitors seemed like scary people, but they were just that: people. They were absolutely lovely to meet and get to know, because everyone had the same sort of mindset and interests. We all clicked together very easily. We were all different, technically, but all the same: nervous, excited, and the best in the business."
By the end of the tournament, Emma felt she had performed reasonably well, but not well enough to contend for top honours. As results were announced, she assumed many of her competitors had outscored her.
"Hearing the successes of everyone around me made me feel like I was probably done for. The three-day stress fest ended with a first place finish in impromptu speaking and fifth place overall. I'm the fifth best speaker in Canada!"
For a student who only discovered speech competition earlier this year, the result was an extraordinary debut on the national stage.
