A 15-year-old student at Atlanta Girls’ School was honored by Union City on Tuesday for her achievements in public speaking and essay writing.
Mayor Vince Williams presented Braxton Smith with a city proclamation at the start of the regular meeting.
Smith was honored for her public speaking accomplishments and placing third in Optimist International’s GATEway District Contest in April. The organization’s contests are designed for youth to gain experience in public speaking, to perfect self-expression, gain self-assurance, improve communication skills and provide them with the opportunity to compete for a college scholarship, a statement said.
The competition was held at the Chattahoochee Technical College North Metro campus in Acworth with the theme “How to Change the World with Optimism.”
In her speech, Smith discussed how Oprah Winfrey and her own mother overcame challenges to become inspirations.
Smith competed against students from Georgia and Tennessee and was awarded a $1,000 scholarship for winning third place. Charis Guilford of Tennessee was the first-place winner in the contest.
The high school freshman competed in her first oratorical competition in sixth grade and won that contest at St. John the Evangelist Catholic School in Hapeville, her mother Shandra Hill Smith said.
Last year, the younger Smith won an Emory Decatur Optimist Club oratorical contest representing Zone Five.
The Union City proclamation states that the younger Smith is having an impact on others: “Her accomplishments serve as an inspiration to her peers and a testament to the power of optimism and hard work.”
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