FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - On March 2, the Rotary Club of Fair Oaks held their annual speech contest for local high school students. Fred Rowe, the speech coordinator, said, “Our annual speech contest is always one of the best meetings of the year. I think it’s inspiring to everybody.” This year’s theme was “Connect to Inspire”.

Jane Liaghat, a junior at Bella Vista High School, spoke about the connective power of sorrow. While people may have very different life experiences, Liaghat said, “Sadness is something every single person will go through in their lives.” She said that the common experience of sadness is a powerful way for people to connect.

Instead of avoiding sadness, Liaghat suggested facing those feelings head on and taking time alone to reflect: “When we’re sad, we tend to think and discover ourselves.” Happiness is not as conducive to introspection, so Liaghat stressed the importance of being brave enough to look inward and examine the causes of our own sorrow.

Everyone has their own personal experience with sadness, and Liaghat said those emotions awaken our sense of humanity and sympathy—enabling us to connect with others and inspiring us to reach out and comfort others in need.

Briana Le, a sophomore at Bella Vista High School, said that the people who inspire us are often the people we admire, the people we feel a common connection with, and those who we strive to emulate. Le mentioned her late grandfather as an example of someone who inspired her: “He was the kindest person I knew.”  She said, “The people who touch our hearts inspire us the most.”

Le described kindness as both an inspirational and a connective force: Kindness “brings our world a little closer together.” She said it’s important for everyone to do their best—putting both heart and soul into their actions.

Le told a story about finding a withered rosebud still clinging to a rose bush in the cold of winter. She peeled away the wrinkled petals and “found beauty beneath.” That bud, just waiting patiently to bloom, inspired her to believe in her own potential. “Inspiration is about connecting with someone and giving them hope for the future,” said Le.

Antoinette Aho, a junior at Cordova High School, said that everyone has the ability to be a “catalyst for global goodness.” She said that acts of kindness can inspire others to perform their own acts of kindness, causing a ripple effect as kindness spreads throughout the world.

Aho said that inspirational leaders, like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., had such a clear sense of purpose behind their messages that they were able to rally others to their causes. She said that the ability to connect with others is what gave them the power to inspire.

Aho stressed the importance of doing the right thing and contributing positively to society even if you don’t see an immediate result. She said that leading by example with a clear purpose will inspire others to follow after you and continue those good works.

Aubrey Bishop Fowler, a junior at Meraki High School, said she struggled while writing the speech because she felt so much pressure to find the right words “to light your soul.” She said that the fear of failure often causes people to give up without trying—because if they can’t be the best, then why bother at all?

But Fowler said that instead of attempting to be the best at everything, people should strive to just do good whenever possible. She said that even small acts of kindness can have a big impact: “An act of kindness might not change the world, but it can change how that one person sees the world.”

You can “find the beautiful things” and “be the person who’s thoughtful,” said Fowler. She encouraged everyone to inspire others to be kind by showing kindness to others. She said there’s always “an opportunity for kindness.”

Celene Aridin, a senior at Bella Vista High School, said that we should aspire to be our best selves while also helping others be their best. She said that the most inspirational people are those who get back up after experiencing hardships—people who don’t let anything keep them down.

Aridin said that people are able to connect in powerful ways when they trust each other enough to share their vulnerabilities and be honest about struggles they’ve faced in their lives. Aridin sees that courage to connect as an inspirational act.

Aridin said that even small gestures of kindness can change someone’s day. She encouraged everyone to offer friendly greetings to strangers, because you never know who might need to hear a kind word that day.

Liaghat and Aho tied for fourth place, Fowler placed third, and Le took second place. Aridin won first place, earning $200 and a spot in the District’s semifinals.