18th Place Winner, 2025 Secondary - National Public Speaking Competition | Mikaela Guo, RVHS

Contestant number 18, Michaela Guer. How to properly make dumplings. Michaela — tatier. How do you properly make dumplings? Well, that was what my little sister said to me the other day while I was making dumplings for dinner. She's really cute and really loud. Have any of you here ever eaten dumplings? They're savory and they are part of my Chinese tradition. And I bet your mouth might be watering just at the thought of a delicious full plate of dumplings right in front of you. Well, if you ever ate dumplings with me, I bet that you could tell instantly which dumplings were made by me. Can you guess why? Well, that is because my dumplings looked like this. Yes. Take a good look, everyone. This dumpling was made from my organic chemistry notes after I just finished my chemistry exam. Because can I be honest, who even likes chemistry? But look at this dumpling. Does the judges like the dumplings? Do anyone here like this dumpling? Does Mr. Darren Taye like this Well, this dumpling looks atrocious. This dumpling looks devastated. This dumpling looks like they just got fired from their job of being a dumpling. In fact, if my grandmother ever saw this dumpling, she would look at it, then she look back at me and do you know what she would say? Michaela, who would want to eat something that looks like that? And I used to believe her. I believed that my dumpling were the most awful dumplings in the whole world. But one day I reached the phase of enlightenment. I realized something that was so important. So what? Well, so what if my grandmother doesn't like my dumpling? So what if other people didn't like my dumpling? I like my dumpling. And in fact, I will eat this dumpling right now. Well, you get the point. But I've reached the bigger picture. Why are we so pressured by other people's opinions? Why do we Why are we so scared of being judged? Because when we are so tangled, so engrossed in what other people think, we lose sight of the most important thing. That is our true self. The self that enjoys making these ugly organic chemistry dumplings. The self that enjoys putting milk before cereal. And yes, I do enjoy But the self that reflects who we truly are as a person. We should never lose sight of something that is so important to us. And that is why I would make a hundred of these lopsided dumplings rather than one. Just one perfect dumpling my grandmother would say everyone loves. And that is why I told my younger sister the proper way to make dumplings is to do it your own way. Thank you.