With already two state championships under her belt for public speaking, Emma Frisbie is no stranger to the spotlight.
Frisbie started competing in public speaking at the young age of 6, helping her to establish the skills to win the Poetry Out Loud Competition on the state level. Frisbie is now moving on to Nationals April 30,with a 3-day, all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. Right now she is one of the top 50 Poetry Out Loud competitors in the nation.
“I was not expecting to win at all. Everyone else was so incredibly talented…I’m still in disbelief,” Frisbie said.
Frisbie first heard about the competition, designed to encourage students to build public speaking skills and read great poetry at the same time, in her freshman English class like many other competitors.
“I wasn’t nervous going into it but then I heard the other two people (perform) before me. I was less nervous for the actual performance of it than if I would be able to win and represent the school as a state champion,” Frisbie said.
Frisbie not only has a way with words but also has outstanding artistic ability.
“I love art… I work specifically in a medium called pointillism which is a bunch of little dots that come together to create a bigger picture,” Frisbie said.
Frisbie sells her artwork on her Etsy business called “Emma Rose’s Studio” as well has many of her pieces in the downtown shop named Azalea’s. She opened her shop at the beginning of the school year. Ten percent of profits go to Reef Renewal U.S.A, a charity that Frisbie feels very strongly about.
Frisbie can also be seen down the street from Azalea’s at the Niantic Bay Playhouse performing. She started acting in fifth grade and has done 15 shows at various theaters.
Her favorite however, was “The Addams Family.” While the Playhouse was being built, Frisbie helped her directors renovate the place by using her painting skills on the painting crew.
Taking her acting to the next level, Frisbie competed in the National History Day competition, where students research historical topics and create a paper, performance, or website to exhibit their conclusions on said topics.
“I entered the competition last year in the same category, and made it to Nationals, but my goal this year is to win at Nationals… I won regionals two weeks ago and am moving onto the state competition in May,” Frisbie said.
This year’s performance is about the tragic 1999 Columbine High School shooting and what made it become a turning point in history.
“I feel very passionate about this topic because I think that it isn’t talked about enough,” Frisbie said.
Passion is at the heart of all of Frisbie’s work, from her storytelling to her artwork. All the hard work that’s gone into it all has certainly paid off for Frisbie.
