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After successfully surviving challenges at the school, district and regional levels, Booc was the most persuasive of the 10 Kern County seventh and eighth-graders who made it to the finals. He received a trophy and a perpetual plaque, bearing his name, which will be displayed at Almond Tree Middle School for one year. Warren Jr. HighSchool student Prutha Mehta finished second, and Kelsey Brewer from Norris Middle Schoolwas third. Each had to write and deliver an original four to seven-minute speech.

Though the competition, sponsored by both Bakersfield Toastmasters Club #270 and the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office, has been around since 1955, it was named the Henry Greve Speech Contest in1963 by the Toastmasters in memory of county speech therapist Henry Greve. Greve actively supported boys and girls oral language activities.        

Mardelano Booc, Almond Tree Middle School
Molly Chandler, Freedom Middle School
Gabriela Cuevas, Sequoia Middle School
Drake Floyd, Chipman Jr. High School
Prutha Mehta, Warren Jr. High School
Chasidy Miles, Fairfax Middle School
Betty Ruiz, Lakeside School
Kerry Saltvick, Sequoia Middle School
Kelsey Brewer, Norris Middle School
Seth Wasylyszyn, Actis Jr. High School