PORT ISABEL — Brian Chavez’s nervousness began to fad after he stood up at the podium to begin his presentation.
“I was ready to tell the audience what I believed in and how I will apply the Rotary rules to my life in the future,” he said.
Chavez finished in second place in the Rotary 4-Way Speech District Contest and was awarded a $1,000 academic scholarship for his performance.
Chavez competed against 11 students from areas such as Central Texas, Edna, Victoria, Houston and the Rio Grande Valley.
He recalled every student standing with nervousness reviewing their speech before beginning their presentations.
He said his goal was to demonstrate his passion regarding “service above self” and how he enjoys developing friendships from assisting his local community, school and church.
Additional speeches included topics such as technology and child abuse.
Jacqui Dempsey, Port Isabel Rotary Club youth services chairperson, and Robert Rodriguez, Port Isabel Rotary Club president-elect, were present for support and advice.
The competition was also a way for him to get through college debt free.
He said he has made it his goal to win as many scholarships as possible before heading out to college.
And on the top of his list is to win the Forty Acres Scholars Program from the University of Texas at Austin — his top college choice.
The Forty Acres Scholarship is the premier full-ride, merit-based scholarship where students will benefit from cultural and leadership activities, as well as personal development opportunities.
Chavez said he is already looking forward to beginning his senior year when he is excited to finish strong academically, athletically and with more scholarships.
A statement released by PIISD said they are very proud of Chavez for his excellent achievement and wish him the best in his upcoming senior year of high school.
