Speech Trek
Speech Trek Eleanor Stem-Allen Memorial
a speech competition for all high schoolers, public and private
Speech Trek, in its fifth year, is a State Program that begins on the branch level with a speech tournament for local students, and culminates with three top state finalists performing their five-minute speeches at the AAUW California convention in April. The first place winner receives $1000 and the second/third place winners get $500. Two honorable mentions are also awarded $100 prizes.
The theme for 2010-11 is: Seventy percent of the 1.2 billion people in the world living in poverty are women. What is the most significant barrier to be overcome to lift these women out of poverty? What organization, foundation or program is having the greatest impact on this barrier?
Branch Speech Trek Coordinators, click on the titles below to download these documents from the Forms & Documents section of this website.
Meet the 2010 Speech Trek Finalists!
Melanie Nadon, represented by the East San Gabriel Branch, won first place and the $1000 award at Convention 2010 in San Ramon on May 1, 2010. Haley Moss, La Mesa/El Cajon branch, won 2nd place and $500 and Ela Banerjee, Roseville/So. Placer Branch, won 3rd and received $500. Two honorable mentions for $100 each were Hannah K. Song, Alhambra/San Gabriel, and Victoria Rios, Whittier Branch.
Melanie Nadon is a junior at Los Osos High School. She is on the Speech and Debate Team and plays the flute and piccolo in the school band. She is interested in studying psychology, linguistics/French, political science or law.
Haley Moss is a sophomore at Steele Canyon High School. She is president of the sophomore class, an officer in the show choir, a member of the dance team and has lettered in track and field as a varsity high jumper. Haley and her mother are active members of SPRITES, a mother-daughter philanthropic group benefitting local charities. Haley likes math and science and plans to pursue a college major related to these disciplines. It is her dream to attend Stanford University and study geological and environmental sciences.
Ela Banarjee is a junior at Roseville High School. She is on the Speech and Debate Team, the Academic Decathlon team, a member of Key Club, California Scholarship Federation and the school concert band. Ela is interested in psychology, neuroscience, and creative writing. She is co-editor of her school's literary magazine and a member of the local group, "Capitol City Young Writers." Ela hopes to pursue either a medical degree or a graduate degree in neuroscience. She would love to do research in the field of neuroscience, with an emphasis in language and speech disorders.
You can also see a testimonial from the 2009 winner. Go to www.youtube.com and type in "Speech Trek".
Who will be the 2011 Speech Trek finalists? They could be from your branch!
Created: 08/10/2008 Updated: 08/21/2010