The final round of the Roger Taylor Rotary Speech Contest showcased talented young speakers before an audience of about 50 Rotarians, students, and community members. Contestants delivered original speeches on materialism, artificial intelligence, and historical accuracy, thoughtfully applying the Rotary 4-Way Test to real-world issues. 

The winner was Nathanael Barlow, a senior at Pennsylvania Leadership Academy, sponsored by Chestnut Hill Rotary. Nathanael’s confident and well-organized delivery earned high praise from the judges and audience.

You can see snippets of all three contestants here and watch each of the finalists' speeches in their entirety on the District's YouTube Channel. 
 

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, April 26, 2025, Celebrating our Youth

Youth Programs include Youth Exchange, Rotaract, Interact, RYLA, and the Four-Way Speech Contest. We will celebrate these programs on April 26, 2025, which coincides with Rotarians at Work Day.  

Join us in engaging with our youth, learning more about their experiences, recognizing their accomplishments, and sharing your Rotary story as we work together on a day of service.  Mark your calendars for “Celebrating our Youth” on April 26, 2025.
 

We are delighted to report that an applicant from our District -- from Boothwyn in Delaware County – has been selected to become a Rotary Peace Fellow with the 2025 entering class. She will study at the Rotary Peace Center affiliated with Uppsala University in Sweden, with full funding to earn a Masters’ degree in two years.

Carly Aquino attended Villa Maria High School in Malvern and George Washington University in D.C. She majored in International Affairs and Conflict Resolution and also studied abroad in Rwanda. She subsequently joined the Peace Corps, for which she served in the country of Benin in West Africa. Her time there was dramatically cut short by the evacuation of Peace Corps personnel everywhere due to the COVID pandemic.
 

Unexpectedly, back in Philadelphia territory, she worked for a refugee resettlement non-profit to help families, at that time primarily from Afghanistan, find shelter and resources.

Post-pandemic, Carly returned to Benin as a grants-based researcher. Currently, she works there with a cross-national coalition of governments aiming to help prevent the spread of violence and exploitation associated with the expansion of terrorist groups. Carly’s expertise focuses on recognizing the central roles of women in vulnerable rural communities and their importance in responding to threats.

The Rotary Peace Fellowship program is looking for more applicants with demonstrated commitment to and potential for peacebuilding. More information is available on the RI website.  And Joy Charlton, chair of the Peace Fellowship committee for our District, eagerly invites inquiries. Applications are now available online and are due May 15, 2025.
 

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