Portage Collegiate student Arishya Aggarwal's won another public speaking event in Winnipeg.

The Grade 9 student returned with four medals from the Douglas Campbell Public Speaking Provincial Tournament recently.

"It was very competitive and very difficult," says Aggarwal. "I think it was all worth it because you get to learn more from the event. It's competitive and that helps you learn new ideas and methods of speaking, and you really use that (in life)."

Aggarwal participated in four rounds of competition, two for impromptu speaking, and two for persuasive speaking. All the top notch Winnipeg schools like St. John's Ravenscourt, Balmoral Hall, Gray's Academy and St. Mary's were also in attendance.

"It's funny because when I go to these events, everyone calls me 'the girl from Portage la Prairie'," laughs Aggarwal. "It makes me happy that I can bring pride to my community, and that I can go around carrying Portage la Prairie's name with the top notch schools. Now they look at Portage with respect, and that really makes me happy."

"I've been researching a lot of people lately and I was introduced to the CEO and Chairman of Pepsi Co. Indra Nooyi, and she's amazing at debating," adds Aggarwal. "So she's my role model, and I want to be just like her. So I keep myself humble and grounded and I look at her and say, am I that yet, and it's a no. So I have to work harder, and that's when I can show it off when I have reached where I wanted to go."

The national competition is May 26th, 2017, in Vancouver, BC.