Union Assurance’s young talent shines at JCI Asia Pacific Conference
Monday, 15 July 2013 00:46
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Bernadine Jayasinghe of Union Assurance (UA) recently had the golden opportunity to represent Sri Lanka and to be selected as one the top three finalists at the JCI World Public Speaking Championship Preliminary Rounds held in Gwangju, South Korea during 13-16 June 2013, with over 6,000 delegates present at the event.
JCI is a membership-based non profit organisation of 200,000 young people aged 18 to 40 in 5,000 communities and is active in more than 100 countries around the world. It offers members a unique opportunity to exercise and showcase their abilities and to share ideas on important local, national or global issues. A speech competition requires a special kind of public speaking, challenging participants to express creative ideas in a clear and captivating manner.
The top eight contestants from the Asia Pacific region represented their countries at this prestigious competition while the top speakers moved towards winning the honoured title of ‘best speaker’. The final round of speeches had top three contestants representing Sri Lanka (Bernadine Jayasinghe), India (Sheetaal Gandhi) and Hong Kong (Kit Ying). Bernadine was adjudged runner-up at this event.
“It was a wonderful experience at which I met many delegates from other countries and had the opportunity to learn and develop many skills which I will definitely carry forward in life. It is my passion which always drives me and I’m very happy to share my experiences with my fellow toastmasters at Union Assurance, Jaycees and anyone who is willing to learn. I’m thankful to God for being with me always and to everyone who was with me when I wanted them the most,” Jayasinghe stated. Bernadine was praised by many of the participants and JCI national presidents who were present at the event and was able to win over the hearts and minds of the audience and delegates alike.
Public speaking is a critical skill of a leader who can motivate people towards positive change. Union Assurance is keen to nurture young talent through many extracurricular activities within the company such as Toastmaster meetings and frequent training on leadership, professionalism and motivation.
