Hey, first of all congrats! I was a Student Merit Award presenter back at the NorthEast District Event in Cambridge 2009, and attended the 2010 edition in Newark as well so I’ve seen my fair share of these things…
First of all, like others have said, you need a story, and yes everyone has one! 90% of students treat it essentially as a portfolio review. I was guilty of that too but a lack of time for preparation, combined with a lack of experience at the time certainly didn’t help. It’s taken me a while to fully appreciate the need for a story in your work. Frankly, those that treat a presentation or portfolio as “I did this, then I did this exercise, then I did these sketches, then I did a rendering of this” have an extremely tough time captivating anyone unless their skill level is just astronomical. Like “Yo” was saying, tell people what motivated you personally. Give them an opportunity to learn about who you are, and give them a reason to care rather than text or scribble.
Alternatively, you may be able to get your hands on one of those collapsible police batons if you do in fact decide that the Harding route is up your alley…