Lakewood Ranch student Alisha Erozer wins speech contest to kick off Farm City Week

Alisha Erozer, 1^st place speech contest winner, is shown with John O’Connor, Jr., Manatee River Soil and Water Conservation District Board vice-chairman. (provided photo)

Alisha Erozer, a Lakewood Ranch High School student, won the annual Manatee River Soil and Water Conservation District speech contest on Nov. 7 and qualified to compete in an area contest.

Second place went to  Braden Causey. Also
shown: John O’Connor Jr. (provided photo)

The event kicked off Farm City Week, Gail Somodi reports.

Erozer's first-place performance earned her a $150 check.


Placing second and awarded $100 was Braden Causey, a student at Bayshore High School.  Home-schooled student Courtney Wingate, placed third and received $75.

Other schools represented in the competition were Buffalo Creek Middle School, Haile Middle School, Palmetto High School, and Manatee High School. 

A drawing for a $50 gift card for educational supplies, to reward teachers for encouraging their students to enter the contest, was won by Bayshore High School teacher Lori Ladd.

Manatee County students in grades six through 12 competed in the annual contest..

Courtney Wingate, 3^rd place winner, and
John O’Connor, Jr. (provided photo)

Designed to develop leadership through participation in public speaking activities and to stimulate interest in conserving our natural resources, the topic this year was, “Where Does Your Water Shed?”

A watershed is an area of land that water flows across as it moves toward a common body of water, such as a stream, river, lake or coast.

Students came up with imaginative ways to explain the importance of watersheds to the audience in 6-8 minute speeches.

Judges were Renée Isom, fiscal services manager for Manatee County Public Safety, and former member of Toastmasters; Jim Strickland, past president of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association and agricultural appraiser with the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s office; and John Zimmerman, retired Manatee County Water Utilities manager.

Manatee River Soil and Water Conservation District speech contestants, from left, Jose Reyes, Alisha Erozer, Courtney Wingate, Jacob Johnston, Braden Causey, Paige Morrison, Amanda Neal, Tabetha Lex, and Layne Burton.

Provided photo