22 June 2026
Some people dread the prospect of speaking in front of a crowd, but Manea Senior College student Isabella Chalker is not one of them.
Isabella celebrates with her fellow finalists after winning the Lions Youth of the Year award.
The Year 12 student excelled at the Lions Australia Youth of the Year national final in Adelaide last month, where she claimed top honours in public speaking and was judged the overall winner.
It was an unexpected thrill for Isabella, who made the final after progressing through regional, district and state qualifying rounds.
“Walking away with both the national public speaking award and the overall national title is deeply rewarding, but mostly it just leaves me feeling incredibly grateful,” she said.
“I truly didn't expect it at all because the other state finalists were exceptionally talented.
“It all still feels completely surreal."
The final involved each of the six state representatives delivering a five-minute speech on a topic of their choice.
For Isabella, that topic was ‘building stronger communities in a disconnected age’, which focused on maintaining genuine human connections and looking out for one another in the age of artificial intelligence.
The most nerve-wracking moments of the final came when Isabella had to answer two impromptu interview questions on the spot, but her preparation served her well.
“Navigating those questions requires you to stay completely calm under pressure, quiet the nerves and structure your thoughts logically in front of a very large audience,” she said.
“The competition looks at a wide range of things you've already been involved in, including school, community service, leadership, sport, academics and general knowledge.
“I mainly focused on staying up to date with current affairs by regularly following the news and reading about issues affecting both the local community and Australia more broadly.”
Isabella serves on the student executive at Bunbury’s Manea Senior College and captained the school’s speech and debate team to victory at Country Week last year.
The school had encouraged Isabella to develop her communication and leadership skills and were supportive of her advocacy for youth beyond the classroom while she served as the Member for Bunbury in the WA Youth Parliament from 2024 to 2025.
“I was selected as the 2025 Western Australian Youth Minister for Health and Mental Health, where I created, presented and debated the 2025 Regional Ambulance Service Bill in youth parliament and advocated for issues affecting young people across Western Australia,” Isabella said.
“My school has consistently encouraged me to pursue these opportunities and have been generous with their time, advice and support along the way.”
Isabella said the experience of competing in the Lions Australia Youth of the Year program was a challenge, but the skills she developed will be useful as she plans to study healthcare and community-focused medicine after finishing Year 12.
“Passing through each round is a tough challenge, but it forces you to improve and grow,” she said.
“The absolute best part of the experience was definitely the opportunity to spend five days in Adelaide meeting so many inspiring, passionate peers and forming beautiful connections along the way.
“Learning how to clearly explain ideas, listen to different perspectives and communicate effectively has helped me build strong interpersonal relationships.
“They are skills I know will be useful in any future pathway, particularly in environments that involve working with people, adapting to new situations and taking on leadership responsibilities.”
Learn more about the Youth of the Year program on the Lions Australia website.