Clark County students participate in competition all about confidence, professionalism
A group of students gathered at the Clark County Board of Education for the final interview portion of a competition called 'The Amazing Shake.' The goal is to teach the value of confidence, communication, and professionalism.
Amber Murphy is an instructional specialist in the district, and she also helped organize the competition.
'They have amazed me each and every round in all the different scenarios. They've all carried themselves with such confidence, poise, and grace,' Murphy said.
Read more of the latest Lexington & central Kentucky news
There have been five rounds leading up to Friday. This portion of the competition involved eight students participating in interviews about being empowered leaders and how they'll take what they learned here into their futures.
Sebastian Allgood and Ashtyn Walters are eighth graders at Robert D. Campbell Junior High School, and both agree that they'll take a lot from this.
'I knew what it was before, but I've never really been in it. For the first year getting this far, it really means a lot,' Allgood said.
'I'm very relieved that I did it, and I'm happy I did it because it definitely gave me a lot of new and great opportunities,' Walters added.
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The top three students from this round will compete in the global Amazing Shake competition in Atlanta, Georgia, hosted at The Ron Clark Academy.
More than winning, the goal is for these students to take these life lessons and skills with them.
'You can't be nervous; you can't be scared. If you're scared on the inside, you must put up a front and be confident. If you're like, 'I'm not going to make it', then you're not going to make it. You have to put yourself in the position to be the underdog,' Allgood said.
The Amazing Shake has been a part of Clark County for several years, and organizers said it's something now adults have looked back on when they participated as young students.
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'Just try new things and put yourself out there. You can't go wrong with putting yourself out there,' Walters said.
'It makes me so incredibly proud of every student who competed this week and how they were able to adapt and remain true to themselves while maintaining that professionalism,' Murphy added.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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