What’s the result of collaboration of passion with preparation? What is the possibility when an imaginative spark would shine through words? As a result we get a little young champions who wins a national competition and even hearts!
This time we had Samaaira from St. Mary’s School, India, a bright and bold kid. The recently organized GEMA 2025 Student Speaker Contest’s top spot was bagged by this young star. In our interview, Samaaira has reflected lights on her journey throughout, her speech and the magic behind her victory.
✨“I Felt Like I Got Accepted into Gryffindor!”
When our team at the interview asked about how she felt after hearing about her win, Samaaira couldn’t control her excitement — “I felt like I just got accepted into Gryffindor!” she exclaimed with joy in her voice. We found her excitement as one of the very magical feelings.
She did not just get applause but she had also won admiration. Along with those she was surprised due to which the moment was much more special for her.
📚 Her Speech: A Tribute to Hermione Granger
Samaaira’s winning speech revolved around her favorite fictional icon which is Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series.
Samaaira shared that she had chosen Hermoine because it actually inspired her. Hermoine was a character who was intelligent, brave and loyal. This is why it became a symbol of empowerment for Samaaira and also an inspiration for her speech.
Though she’s currently on the fifth book in the series, her love for the magical world of Hogwarts is already deep-rooted.
👩👧 With A Little Help from Her Biggest Cheerleaders
Every young achiever has a support system, and Samaaira is no exception. She credits her mother and school teachers for helping her throughout the preparation.“They listened to every single word of mine,” she recalls, grateful for the time and effort her mentors put in.
🎥 Practice, Camera, Confidence!
Samaaira didn’t keep her performance prepared by chance. She practiced and rehearsed multiple times. She also recorded herself on camera and improved her practice.
Additionally she also did multiple mock rounds before the final competition day. It proved her dedication was at the peak and it indeed paid off to her. Although Samaaira was a bit nervous initially, she had an awesome trick to cope it: she imagined her family in the audience who were cheering for her.
💖 Best Moment for Samaaira? Hitting Submit!
Among the entire competition, Samaaira described her favourite part as the feeling of accomplishment at the end of her final recording.“Hitting submit and feeling proud of what I’ve done” — that was the inner joy that made all the hard work of Samaaira worth it.
🎤 A Message to Future Participants
To anyone aspiring to participate in this contest next year, Samaaira conveys very helpful advice for them:
“Just be you, speak from the heart, and don’t worry about being perfect.”
Samaaira believes that it is the authenticity which takes to the victory instead of flawlessness which is in-demand in today’s world.
🏰 Dreaming of Books, Pillows & Fairy Lights
And if there were prizes beyond speaking? Samaaira knows what she’d want — a cozy fort with books, pillows, and fairy lights. (Honestly, we want that too!)
🌟Keep Shining, Samaaira!
Samaaira has not just won this competition but with her humility, creativity, and charm, she has also won many hearts. Our team and GEMA Education are very excited about Samaaira’s coming journey and wish her all the luck for it.
Here’s to more stories, more speeches, and more little champions like Samaaira who will be lighting up the world with their words. 💫Thank You!
Watch Samira’s full interview here.