Welcome

Stoneleigh-Burnham School proudly celebrates Maeve ‘26, who competed at the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championship, held this year in Bristol, England. With nearly 200 speakers competing from around the world, Maeve was a stand-out competitor. Based on preliminary scores, Maeve finished 28th overall, with an impressive 12th in persuasive speaking and 6th in impromptu speaking. 

Impromptu speaking, one of the most dynamic and challenging categories in debate and public speaking, requires participants to craft and deliver a speech on the spot with minimal preparation time. Speakers are given a prompt—a quote, word, or abstract idea—and must quickly develop a clear, compelling speech to be delivered without the use of notes. It is a test of critical thinking, communication skills, authenticity, and presence.

For Maeve, impromptu is one of her strongest events. She advanced all the way to the final round, narrowly missing the grand finale. Her prompts included “Problems are just opportunities,” “Silence,” “Shoot for the moon; land among the stars,” and “You don’t make the history books by being liked.” Each time, Maeve approached the topic with depth and intention, grounding her speeches in a central theme: humanity.

“I always connect my speeches to what it means to be human,” Maeve shared. “It helps make them real.”

A particular strength of Maeve’s speaking style is her willingness to be deeply personal and open. Whether through humor or vulnerability, she draws on her own experiences to create speeches that resonate with her audience. That authenticity, she notes, is both a strength and a risk, and one she embraces fully.

Reflecting on her time at Worlds, Maeve emphasized that the experience extended far beyond the competition. “Being surrounded by people who share this passion was incredible,” she said. “But more than that, these are people who are thinking deeply, challenging ideas, and really want to make a difference in the world. We are future leaders.” 

Maeve’s achievements on the world stage and within the SBS community are a testament to her talent, dedication, and the power of student voice. We are incredibly proud of her and look forward to seeing where her voice takes her next as she prepares to leave the Stoneleigh-Burnham nest.