The 2014 ambassador of the Dresden Exhibition is gearing up for the Canadian National Exhibition competition this upcoming weekend in Toronto.
Lindsay Martin told the Sydenham Current she has been busy working on a speech about agriculture in the Dresden community.
“It’s about a one to two minute speech and has to be memorized by August 21st when the competition begins,” she said. “Sunday the 23rd is when I may or may not have to say my speech. The 21st and the 22nd all the
contestants go through an interview with a panel of judges and from your presentation on stage, they pick the top seven.”
Martin said “Those seven contestants will than say their speeches, so I have to have one memorized regardless. From those seven they will pick the top three and then those three will have an impromptu question. From that, they pick the CNE Ambassador.”
Martin said her speech is going to be about how Dresden is very much a family.
“You come from a small town and its like everybody knows each other,” she said. “It’s nice to come from a very
agriculture-based community. It’s the saying ‘Farmers Feed Cities’. Well we have farmers that feed our town. For my example I would love to use the Jennen family farm because I am friends with those kids. I grew up with them. There are so many people who buy the strawberries and what not.”
Martin said being a part of the Dresden Exhibition the last couple of years has been a great experience.
“At first I was really hesitant in doing the competition, but it has really opened my eyes,” she said.
“Having that experience I have so much more confidence in myself. Shirley McKerrall has been my mentor through the whole thing. She pushes me, she tells me I’ve got confidence, you can do it. Even just being in parades and having those little girls say ‘Oh, look at the princess’. Those are going to be our future leaders and I think it’s so great, its such an eye opener. It’s an experience that not many people can say they got to experience.”
Martin is going to be entering her second year in the human kinetics program at the University of Windsor.
