Saltus Grammar School took the top prize in a public speaking tournament last week.

A statement said Saltus was recognised as the top overseas school during the Independent International Schools Public Speaking Competition in Portland, Maine.

Six Saltus students were among the approximately 125 participants in the competition representing schools in the US, India, Canada and Hong Kong from October 16 until Monday.

Terra Hassen won first place in the impromptuspeaking category and Jordan Williams earned the top prize in persuasive speaking as well as the Phil Hassen Spirit Award for Friendship.

The statement said the award, voted on by competitors, “honours the student who best embodies the spirit of the competition through friendship, camaraderie, support, positivity and the building of meaningful connections with peers”.

Mr Williams said: “Hard work makes excellence inevitable, camaraderie makes excellence enjoyable, this competition was a wonderful experience overall.”

Miss Hassen said: “It was an incredible experience — we’ve all grown so much as a team and this competition was our chance to see all our hard work pay off.”

Student Callie Lucas came third in the dramatic interpretation category and was a finalist in after-dinner speaking, while Christopher Madeiros, also representing Saltus, earned third in extemporaneous speaking and was a finalist in parliamentary debate.

Julie Rousseau, Saltus Head of School, said: “We are incredibly proud of our team for representing Saltus and Bermuda with excellence and all qualifying for spots in the finals.”

Saltus and the Bermuda High School for Girls hosted IISPSC last year and look forward to sharing the team’s success at the 2026 World Individual Public Speaking Competition in Canada.