Medan, September 23, 2026 – The Diploma Program in English Language, Faculty of Vocational Education, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), held the first day of the “Speak to Inspire” English Competition 2026 on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at the Faculty of Vocational Education, USU. The activity served as a platform for high school and vocational high school students to develop their English language skills while expressing their creativity and talents.
The activity began with an official opening, followed by a series of competitions in several categories, namely Singing Competition, Poetry Competition, and Speech Competition. The Storytelling Competition was held on the second day. The participants demonstrated their best English language skills through both artistic performances and public speaking.
In the Singing Competition category, 30 participants from various high schools and vocational high schools took part. The participants came from MAN 1 Medan, SMA Negeri 15 Medan, SMA Negeri 11 Medan, SMA Negeri 1 Medan, SMA Panca Budi Medan, MAS Plus Al Ulum Medan, SMA Swasta Harapan 1 Medan, SMA Laksamana Martadinata Medan, SMA Swasta Cahaya Medan, SMA Negeri 1 Sunggal, and SMK Negeri 1 Patumbak.
The participants' performances in this category were judged by Kristina Samosir, a Vocal Teacher at Avia Music Center, and Silas B. P. Tampubolon, S.E., a lecturer in Ethnomusicology at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, USU.
Meanwhile, the Poetry Competition was participated in by 12 contestants from MAN 1 Medan, SMA Negeri 15 Medan, SMA Swasta Methodist 5 Medan, SMA Negeri 11 Medan, SMA Swasta Cahaya Medan, SMA Gajah Mada Medan, SMK Negeri 1 Medan, SMA Swasta YPK Medan, and SMK Negeri 1 Patumbak.
The poetry competition was judged by Wahyu Maulana, S.S., M.Si., a teacher at English 1 Medan, and Fikry Prastya Syahputra, S.S., M.Si., a lecturer in English Literature at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, USU.
In the Speech Competition category, 30 participants competed. The participants came from SMAS Methodist 5 Medan, SMA Negeri 19 Medan, SMAS Dharma Pancasila, SMA Negeri 1 Medan, MAN 2 Model Medan, SMA Negeri 7 Medan, SMA Negeri 3 Medan, SMAS W.R. Supratman 2, SMK Negeri 1 Medan, SMAS YPK Medan, SMA Negeri 1 Sunggal, SMA Swasta Batari Polonia, and SMK Negeri 1 Patumbak.
The participants in the Speech Competition category were judged by Sri Wanasari, S.Sos., M.Ilkom, Head of the Sumatera Bureau of tvOne, and Dr. Meida Rabia Sihite, S.Pd., M.Hum., a lecturer at Universitas Al Wasliyah.
In addition to the three categories held on the first day, the Storytelling Competition was also one of the categories in the “Speak to Inspire” English Competition 2026. Before entering the main round held on the second day, the qualification round of the Storytelling Competition had been conducted online.
A total of nine participants took part in the Storytelling Competition category. They came from various high schools and vocational high schools, namely SMA Negeri 1 Medan, MAN 2 Model Medan, SMA Negeri 15 Medan, SMA Swasta Panca Budi Medan, SMA Negeri 1 Sunggal, SMA Swasta Cahaya Medan, and SMK Negeri 1 Medan.
The Storytelling Competition round was judged by Elnoviamy, M.A., Director of Language Access, and Dr. Jamaluddin Nasution, S.S., S.Pd., M.Hum., a lecturer in the Master's Program in English Language at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, USU.
In addition to the competition series, the “Speak to Inspire” English Competition 2026 was also enlivened by a bazaar held for three days. The bazaar added to the atmosphere of the event and provided a space for participants and visitors to enjoy various food and refreshments throughout the event.
The implementation of the “Speak to Inspire” English Competition 2026 also received support from various parties. Waitinglist Coffee & Tea served as the main sponsor, along with other sponsors, namely Mutiara Jewelry, BBC Learning Center, Pizza Hut, and WiLASA. Support from the sponsors contributed to the successful implementation of the activity while adding to the excitement of the event series.
The first day of the “Speak to Inspire” English Competition 2026 took place with great enthusiasm and spirit. Through various competition categories, the activity provided a space for students to have the courage to perform, express themselves, develop their creativity, and improve their English language skills in a competitive yet enjoyable atmosphere.
The “Speak to Inspire” English Competition 2026 will continue through Friday, September 25, 2026, at the Faculty of Vocational Education, USU, with various activities and competitions prepared by the Diploma Program in English Language.