Jessica Steele-Codr, Tremale Berger Named Top Winners of Toastmasters Speech Contest
Tremale Berger
Jessica Steele-Codr of Omaha and Tremale Berger of Los Angeles, CA placed first in their respective speech categories during the District 24 Speech Contest, held over Zoom and livestreamed to YouTube for public viewers on April 17. Jessica won the Humorous speech category with “Zoom It Up a Notch,” a priceless “informative” speech filled with the best Zoom tips that an excessively upbeat social-media influencer could offer. The Humorous contest category ends at the District level. Meanwhile, Tremale finished first in the International speech category, captivating the audience with his speech, “A Warm Place,” an emotional account of the struggles he faced on his journey to find love—and a reminder that love heals all.
Jessica Steele-Codr
Tremale will advance to the Regional Quarterfinals for the next round, where a video recording of his presentation will be judged against other speeches from across the Midwest and central Canada. The first- and second-place winners of that contest will advance to the International Speech Contest Semifinals. Other District 24 contestants in the International category featured Mitchell Nickerson of Grand Island (second), Kristin Malek of Lincoln (third), and Ash Banaszek of Omaha. Humorous category contestants also included Carol Sullivan of Norfolk (second), Debra Morton-Chale of Auburn (third), and Rebecca Fegan of Bellevue.
Toastmasters International empowers individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders. Toastmasters District 24 (d24tm.org) includes more than 60 clubs and 1,000 members across Nebraska and Council Bluffs, IA. Learn more at d24tm.org.