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Ava Kalitowski wins place at Grand Final
2020 is an unprecedented year with change and adapting to the new being key features for all of us. This year Jack Petchey’s “Speak Out” Challenge! Will not take place at Cambridge Theatre, instead we are live streaming with pre-recording speeches broadcast from a London film studio on Tuesday 1st December.
From the 20,000 young people who took part in the “Speak Out” Challenge! this year, we are thrilled to announce this year’s Grand Finalists, some of whom became Regional Champions and some Digital Final Champions. In no particular order, please meet the first of our Grand Finalists.
We are delighted to share our seventh Grand Finalists, congratulations Ava Kalitowski.
From the borough of Southwark, Ava represented The Charter School at our first ever Digital Final with her speech ‘Why should I care?’ Ava’s calm and collected approach to speaking typifies her content; she reminds us that worrying and making mistakes are all part of growth and learning and so she challenges us to keeping moving forward.
We asked Ava, how would you like people to think / act differently from hearing your story?
“My speech is not that serious, I hope that people take this message of caring less about others opinions and build up a strong self-confidence of them self, I also hope that people will have less judgment on others after they hear this light-hearted message, as a society we need to unlearn this mentality that others are not worthy we are equal and all important. Hopefully that is what people will take from this. (Also that life doesn’t have to be taken seriously all the time, have fun, that’s what I’m here to do).”
How could this experience help you further any passions, or career ambitions you have?
“I am passionate about two things. I am annoyingly obsessed with climate change, using the platform I have made from this experience hopefully I will be able to speak to larger audiences and those who are able to make national changes and inspired them to make the needed changes. I also love fashion and design, with both my parents working in the creative industry I have grown up to love art, through this experience I hope to be confident enough to continue with this dream and succeed in making my mark in the industry.”
And finally, what three top tips on life would you give a Year 7 student?
“Don’t copy others homework – its not worth it. Just revise for the spelling quiz, it’s not actually that bad.
Learn an instrument, it’s the only thing I turn to when I have no homework and I’m sick of social media, also you look really cool when your sitting round a fire whilst camping jamming out tunes
Choose what you enjoy at GCSES and A levels, I chose music and art and I am loving it (though art is an immense amount of work) by choosing something that you enjoy you will succeed in it far more.”
Listen to Ava’s approach.
