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Whiz Kid: Woodbury Sophomore Shines on Speech Team

The sophomore speech team member took first place in the 2010 4AA Section Speech Meet and also took home this year's 4AA Section Tournament top honors in the Serious Poetry Interpretation category.

For her outstanding performance on the speech team, sophomore Yemi Ajagbe is this week’s Woodbury Patch Whiz Kid.

Ajagbe—who also participates in soccer and serves as treasurer of Student Council—said her long-term plans include becoming a broadcast journalist, and speech team is a natural fit for her.

In her first two years as a competitive member of team, Ajagbe placed first in the 4AA Section Speech Meet in 2010 and also took home this year’s 4AA Section Tournament top honors in the Serious Poetry Interpretation category.

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Minnesota State High School League fine arts consultant Mike Tillman, who judged Ajagbe in this year’s section tournament, said her performance was impressive in its maturity and emotion.

“She displayed a strong skill and understanding both of the selection and of bringing the poem to life for her audience,” Tillman said. “Her fourth place showing this year is a great accomplishment for any student and certainly for a sophomore.”

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Woodbury High School speech team coach Karen Seashore said Ajagbe brings a “dynamic presence” to her speaking.

“She uses a lot of variety in her voice,” Seashore said. “You really feel that she becomes the woman in the poem.”

For Ajagbe herself, though, it’s all about the end result. Asked what she likes most about the speech team, she enthusiastically spoke about the feeling of accomplishment that goes with winning.

“It’s hard to get the awards,” she said. “But it feels great.”

While Ajagbe is certainly a standout on the team, Seashore said all speech team members are winners in the long run.

“Speech team teaches lifelong skills,” she said. “Everyone always improves over time, and it’s a way that students really get to engineer their own success.”

Nominate a Whiz Kid

Know a great kid who recently made Eagle Scout? Did your child's sports team really step it up in the last tournament? They may be our next Woodbury Patch Whiz Kid honoree.

Woodbury Patch seeks suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens, and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Patch Whiz Kid.

Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to kris.janisch@patch.com. Be sure to include all of the following information:

Nominator's Name

Nominator's E-Mail

Whiz Kid's Name

Whiz Kid's Age

Whiz Kid's School

Whiz Kid's Accomplishment

Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness (what made him/her successful?)

If your nominee is selected, we'll contact you and assign a photographer to take a photo. For more information, email kris.janisch@patch.com.

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