On Saturday, April 26th, local 8th grader Tyler Judd brought home the top award from the Optimist International Oratorical Contest in Ocean City. He placed first in the Maryland/South Delaware District competition and was awarded a $2,500 scholarship.
Judd delivered his winning speech on his love of acting. “It was easy to speak about my passion,” Judd said with his characteristic grin. “I was so excited but I didn’t tell anyone that I won. My English teacher, Ms. Steg, had to be the first to know,” he said. Judd attends The Country School in Easton.
The first stage of the Optimist competition began locally at the Avalon Theater, where Judd beat out area teens on April 7th. He continued on to compete in Salisbury on April 15th, where he came away with another first prize.
Tyler recalls catching the acting bug in first grade at The Country School when he was cast as Arthur in a class play. He continued his acting career in the Upper School Musicals at The Country School playing the roles of Winthrop in The Music Man, Chip in Beauty and the Beast, Sebastian in The Little Mermaid, Jr. and most recently, Smee in Peter Pan.
“The best feeling in the world for me, is when I’m up on stage and I can tell that the audience is having a good time,” states Judd in the closing lines of his speech. “Whether its laughter after a funny line, a grin in the front row, or even screams of delight, it’s why I love to perform. I hope that before I leave this earth, I will have plenty of opportunities to affect the lives of others or just put a smile on someone’s face. After all, isn’t a smile just enough to impact the world?”
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