I am Maunissha Valaiyapathy, an ordinary girl living in Kluang, Johor. My mother tongue is Tamil. Although I was born in the United Kingdom, I moved to Malaysia when I was 6 months old and have lived here ever since. At home, we usually speak in English. I also love watching videos and movies in English most of the time.

 

I have a special interest in reading books in English, such as the Geronimo Stilton series. I didn't realize how good I was at languages, especially English, until 2022 when I was in Year Four. That year, I competed for the first time in a school-level speech contest and won 1st runner-up. I was really proud of myself. In 2023, when I was in Year Five, I competed again and won the school-level speech contest.

 

I never realized that my whole life would change because of that speech. They selected me to represent my school at the district level, and I trained really hard. It was very challenging because I also had another competition—the District-Level Science Fair Competition for young children. I balanced training for both competitions during and after school hours, often staying at school until 4:00 p.m. Due to my hard work, I won the district-level public speaking competition. I was then chosen to compete at the state level. It was much more difficult, especially the impromptu portion. However, continuous training helped me win at the state level as well. I started preparing intensely for the nationals, but unfortunately, I did not win.

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The following year, when I was in Year Six (2024), I had the opportunity to participate in another public speaking competition called the Saraswathy English Challenge. I was determined to prove that I could win. I applied all the knowledge I had gained from my training the previous year. My teacher, Mrs. Shanti, and my parents were eager to see me succeed and supported me throughout my journey. As I progressed through the semi-finals, finals, and then to the grand finals, I was thrilled. I made many friends during the Saraswathy English Challenge. However, I did not win again.

 

I knew I still had a chance to try again, so I did. I joined another public speaking competition at the school level. I trained extensively and won at both the zone and district levels. On July 24, 2024, I competed at the state level and won 1st runner-up.

 

I competed against students from all the districts in Johor, including Muar, Kulai, Mersing, Kota Tinggi, Pasir Gudang, Johor Bahru, Tangkak, Segamat, Pontian, and Batu Pahat. Even though I was not chosen for the national competition, I am proud to say that I was the only girl from a Tamil school to compete at the state level.

 

After the state-level public speaking competition, the Yayasan Johor Corporation introduced a fan favorite award, and I won it. I am really happy and grateful that everyone liked my speech and voted for me. Even after experiencing losses, I am still standing tall. This journey has taught me a lot about public speaking. I truly enjoy speaking in front of a large crowd and making them eager to listen to my speech. I am very grateful to my teacher, Mrs. Shanti, and my parents and I am looking forward to joining more English-based training programs in the near future.