JAMESTOWN — High school students from Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties participated in the 13th annual College Connections speech contest at SUNY Jamestown Community College’s Scharmann Theatre earlier this spring.

The eight competing students were asked to discuss one of the United Nations’ 17 sustainable goals that they would advocate for and what we might do to advance that goal.

A panel of judges chose Zachary Maguire, a senior from Westfield Academy and Central School, as the winner of the contest. Allison MacCallum, a junior from Jamestown High School, was runner-up.

Also participating were Joshua Erickson and Addison Walker-Osgood of Falconer; Sophia Sundeen of Ellicottville; McKenna Campbell of Westfield, Abbee Brandow of Jamestown and Danielle Mincarelli of Southwestern Central School. Fellow students from each participating school attended the competition to support their classmates.

College Connections public speaking instructors in attendance included Cathie Nason of Ellicottville; Briane Katilus of Falconer; Elizabeth Rowe-Baehr of Jamestown; Christina Gruber of Randolph; Michelle Cresanti of Southwestern; Laura Wilson of Westfield; Cara Abbey of Maple Grove Central School; and Lisa Burns of Frewsburg.

Contest judges were Momina Di Blasio, manager of the New Neighbors Coalition at St. Lukes Episcopal Church; Elizabeth Gattman, nurse practitioner at Evergreen Heatlh; and Whitney Gleason, executive director of the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy.

Jade Barber, director of JCC High School Partnerships, and Simone Sellstrom, JCC assistant professor and chair of communication, media arts, theater and English literature, coordinated the event.

“We were excited to highlight JCC’s emphasis on globalization this year during our annual speech contest”, Sellstrom said. “The 17 sustainable development goals outlined by the UN are integral to the long-term health of our local communities, and it was exciting to see the many ways students envisioned the application of these goals both locally and globally.”

JCC’s College Connections program partners with schools in Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties, providing high school students the opportunity to take college courses and earn college credit.