Youth takes top award- Jacinta Brorson from Narre Warren South has won this year’s Lions Inter

By Lia Bichel
A NARRE Warren South youth with a firm anti-drugs stance has taken out this year’s Dandenong Lions Club Youth of the Year award.
Jacinta Brorson, from Lyndale Secondary College, was shocked to learn she was selected to participate in an interview for the award.
“I had just returned from a trip overseas when I got the letter in the mail – I had only four days to prepare for the interview and write a speech,” the Year 11 student said.
“I just kept psyching myself up, telling myself I can do it.”
Chairman of Youth of the Year committee Tony Walker said the awards were started by the Lions Club many years ago in an effort to give young people the chance to work on their interview skills and practise public speaking.
Mr Walker said he was pleased with the quality of this year’s entrants.
“The judges were impressed with all the entrants and said they had a delightful time interviewing them,” he said.
“The awards work two-fold – not only do they benefit the entrants, but the older people in the community can learn a lot from the youth.”
Mr Walker said Jacinta was a worthy recipient.
She wrote her speech about her anti-drug stance, having been personally affected by drugs.
“My sister had a problem with drugs,” she said.
“So I wrote about the negative impacts they have on people’s lives.”Jacinta excelled in her interview and moved her parents to tears during her speech. Shortly after the speeches were made, Jacinta was crowned the winner of the Youth of the Year Award. Jacinta’s principal Mark Moir said she was very deserving of the award.
“She is an excellent student and a credit to our school,” he said.
“She has been nominated as a school captain next year. We are very proud of her.” Jacinta said in the future, besides travelling the world, she would like to pursue a career in event management, and hoped to incorporate her anti-drugs stance into her career.