That passion for public speaking was nurtured throughout her senior school years at Molong Central School by teachers and her family, and her skills in debating have now taken her to the world stage where she has adjudicated at an international university debating competition at Thessaloniki in northern Greece.

“It was an amazing experience as there were over 400 teams from all over the world.

“I enjoyed adjudicating but it is a different experience to debating, which I truly love,” she said.

Ms Hazelton, who is studying a double degree of science and journalism, has just been elected to lead the Wollongong University debating society for the coming year.

“I deliberately chose Wollongong uni because I knew they were so strong in debating,” she said.

Ms Hazelton said when debating she doesn’t have a set formula of how she will approach her argument, but says the elements of who and  why  are essential to pin down in any debate.

Growing up in a household where philosophical discussions were part of family life, has certainly contributed to the love of debating, according to Ms Hazelton.

However she says it hasn’t all come easily.

“As I continued my debating through high school you really have to work on your technique and it is important to have a big data base so you are over as many topics as possible,” she said.

“You have to work hard at it.” 

Ms Hazelton is now entering the third year of her degree and is hoping to pursue a career in science communication.

She says she hopes her career will leave her time to continue to pursue her passion for debating.

janice.harris@fairfaxmedia.com.au