A public speaking competition born to do one thing: help students find – and own – their voice.

Born out of Speaker Stride – the communication pillar of Project Stride, the Rotaract Club of SLIIT’s flagship professional development initiative – VOCÉ ’26 was where that ambition took its most visible, most electric form.

Executed in close collaboration with the SLIIT Gavel Club, VOCÉ ’26 gave students at SLIIT something genuinely rare: a structured, high-quality arena to test their voice against their own limits – and walk away better for it. Not just a better speaker. A more self-assured person.

| THE WORKSHOP THAT SET THE STAGE | 21ST APRIL 2026 · VIRTUAL · 11 AM – 3 PM

Long before the competition began, the VOCÉ ’26 Organizing Committee did something thoughtful: they made sure contestants actually knew what they were doing. On 21st March 2026, the VOCÉ ’26 workshop brought three accomplished Toastmasters from across Sri Lanka together for a four-hour virtual masterclass, covering the three pillars of a great speech, structure, body language, and vocality.

The jam-packed workshop kicked off with Toastmaster Kavindu Walisinghe of the Central Link Toastmasters Club opening with a session on speech structure – introducing the “Burger Method” and pushing participants to think hard about the why behind every word they’d say. Toastmaster Mayantha Warnakulasooriya of the Minuwangoda Toastmasters Club followed with a body language session that was as high-energy as it sounds, diving into charisma, confidence, and the psychology of how an audience reads you before you’ve even begun. And to close out this session Toastmaster Gihan Samarawickrama from the Smedley Toastmasters Club delivered a vocality masterclass built around the 5 P’s, Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause, and Pleasantness – drawing inspiration from 2014 World Champion Dananjaya Hettiarachchi and making sure every concept was practised, not just heard. Four hours later, the room was buzzing – and registrations couldn’t open fast enough.

| ROUND 1: NERVE-WRACKING, EXHILARATING, UNFORGETTABLE | 4TH APRIL 2026 · VIRTUAL · 10 AM – 2 PM

The competition proper kicked off with all 20 contestants logging on for what turned out to be one of those days that remind you why public speaking matters. For four hours, voices filled the virtual room – some shaky at first, some immediately assured, all of them courageous.

Two highly experienced judges from the SLIIT Gavel Club presided over the round: Gavelier Mahira Ramzeen, Vice President of Public Relations, and Gavelier Sahasra Yasasuri, Vice President of Education. Their expertise brought both rigor and fairness to what was a genuinely competitive field. An enthusiastic audience rounded out the energy – a crowd that kept morale high and the excitement real.

When the dust settled, six finalists were announced. Six students who had earned their place at the top table.

| THE FINAL ROUND: THE MOST ANTICIPATED MOMENT | 19TH APRIL 2026 · VIRTUAL · 10 AM – 2 PM

For the finals, four distinguished Toastmasters were brought in to form a judging panel that was nothing short of exceptional: the Chief Judge, Toastmaster Arosha Kalupahana from the Moratuwa Toastmasters Club, Toastmaster Dananjaya Samarasekara also from the Moratuwa Toastmasters Club, Toastmaster Tharika De Silva from the HSBC BSC Toastmasters Club, and Toastmaster Prishani Peiris from the HSBC GSC Toastmasters Club. The bar was set high, and the finalists rose to meet it.

Weeks of preparation, one competitive round, and six finalists – all roads led here. The VOCÉ ’26 Final Round arrived on 19th April, and the caliber of everyone in that virtual room matched the weight of the occasion.

The six finalists delivered their speeches to a room (well, a virtual one) holding its collective breath. Each speech was a reminder of just how far these students had come – delivered with conviction, personality, and a confidence that felt anything but rehearsed. When the speeches concluded, a brief intermission gave the panel time to deliberate, and then Chief Judge Toastmaster Arosha Kalupahana stepped forward for the moment everyone had been waiting for. Sahnas Thufail claimed first place, Aadila Anees earned second, and Thaadsayini Elantheepan rounded off the podium with a well-deserved third – a moment followed by a heartfelt address on confidence and gratitude that resonated with everyone in the room.

VOCÉ ’26 didn’t just produce winners. It produced people who know their voice matters.

VOCÉ ’26 was proof that when you give students the right platform, they show up – and they show out. From a four-hour workshop to a nail-biting final round, every step of the competition was designed to do one thing: help students find their voice. And find it they did. Whether it was a contestant who walked into Round 1 barely believing in themselves, or a finalist who stood in front of four judges and delivered something genuinely moving – VOCÉ ’26 gave every single participant a reason to speak up, and the tools to do it well. That’s what this competition was always about.