Lions top youth title

NOOSA District State High School (NDSHS) Year 12 school captain Matthew Craigie won the Sunshine Coast District level of national competition Lions Youth of the Year.
Matthew has competed successfully in three rounds so far to secure a place at Gladstone for the Regional Finals, which will be held in early April.
The competition consists of a half hour interview with a panel of judges asking leadership and general knowledge questions.
Contestants are then asked to perform two impromptu speeches and a five-minute prepared speech to allow judges to finalise the most outstanding young leader and speaker.
Matthew’s key speech touches on the crucial role science plays in Australia’s development and standard of living and how as a nation, people must secure a future for scientists, here in Australia rather than see significant talents drift to distant shores due to a lack of funding and support in Australia.
Matthew follows a long tradition of successful Lions Youth of the Year finalists who have made it to the state level from NDSHS.
The list includes Julian Ensbey, Chalice Martin and Leah Van Straten who recently returned from a high level defence job in Melbourne to judge the local round.