By XAVIER SMERDON
TWO Wyndham Vale students have put youth suicide under the spotlight, talking about their own harrowing experiences with the issue.
Tania Seumalu and Britney Penpraze from Manor Lakes P-12 College were runners-up in the Wyndham Youth Public Speaking Competition, known as WYNSPEAK.
Tania was a runner-up in the senior section of the competition, while Britney was a runner-up in the junior section.
It was the first time in the nine years that the competition has been held that students had chosen to speak about youth suicide.
Neither girl knew that the other had chosen to talk about the same topic.
“I wanted to do it on something that meant something to me, not just for the hell of it,” Britney said.
“A family member of mine committed suicide and being a teen myself it was really relevant to me.”
Britney said her own research had revealed that 1015 people think about committing suicide every day in Australia, while seven people kill themselves every day.
“We’ve been learning about bullying and the effects it can have on people and it kind of just connected with me,” she said.
Tania, who moved to Australia just five months ago from New Zealand, said her cousin’s suicide was the inspiration behind her moving speech.
“We were very close to him. He went through a lot of pain and he was depressed at the same time,” Tania said.
“He didn’t talk to anyone and he didn’t know what to do.”
Both girls encouraged anyone thinking about suicide to reach out and talk to someone they trust.
“It’s a really big issue right now,” Tania said.
“I even have friends who are thinking about it and I’m trying to help them now.
“You need to talk to someone about it, don’t let it bombard you.”
Anyone dealing with depression or anxiety should call lifeline on 13 11 14.
