Agnes Leung's heart is pounding and her mind's a blur as she stands in front of schoolmates, teachers and judges. She has been asked to deliver a two-minute talk on the spot. She must begin with 'If I could ...'.
Members of the audience shuffle in their seats. Agnes pauses, takes a deep breath and looks straight ahead.
'If I could be anything, I would be a bird so that I could fly out of this room,' she begins. The audience laughs and then listens attentively as she goes on to give a winning speech about why she'd like to be a bird.
Agnes was one of 11 Form Six students taking part in a public-speaking contest at True Light Girls' College in May. The contest was part of the Youth Leadership Programme organised by Toastmasters in Hong Kong.
Earlier, Agnes and the other competitors participated in a nine-week programme, where they learned to prepare and deliver rehearsed and impromptu speeches. She and the other girls say they still feel a little nervous speaking out, but now have the confidence to try.
Speaking in front of others scares most of us. Yet it's a skill worth developing because it can help you now and later in life. You've probably already had to answer questions in class, work with others on a project or give an oral report.