Heritage High sophomore Carla Cernat won first place in the recent Byron Delta Lions Club’s 76th annual Student Speakers Contest held at Excelsior Middle School. More than 40 students, friends and relatives attended the event. Speakers addressed the topic “How Do We Create and Keep Jobs in America?”

Other Heritage competitors were Kevin Avalos, Erin Furnary, Chris Maxwell, Alex Ronning and Nabiha Syeda Zahra, accompanied by Heritage Speech Advisor Tacy Heath.

Each year the Lions of California choose a thought-provoking topic that prepares youth to become leaders of today and the future. The statewide contest affords the opportunity for competitors in grades 9-12 – including high school, junior high, charter, private, home or independent-study, and foreign-exchange students – to advance through five levels and ultimately earn more than $21,500 in scholarships.

Cernat, 16, will now compete in the second Zone Level competition, held March 7.