With the nation still in the midst of the fentanyl crisis, Centralia College student Jamie Cline, of Olympia, chose to make her own struggles with addiction the focus of her speech for the fifth annual Statewide Inspirational Speech Championship last month.
Cline was one of five finalists competing out of hundreds who entered from 34 community colleges across Washington. Her speech ended up winning her the championship. She became the second Centralia College student to win in two years and the third to win over the past four years.
Last year’s winner was Jasmine Preslicka, who is on course to graduate early from Arizona State University with an accounting degree and a 4.13 GPA, said Jeff McQuarrie, Centralia College public speaking instructor and director of the Statewide Inspirational Speech Championship.
The 2021 champion, Tony Messineo, works with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department and just completed his master’s degree in business management and IT with a 4.0 GPA from Central Washington University.