Coming into high school, I never imagined being a public speaker. I was terrified of class presentations and decided to stick to sports and do my work in silence. At the end of my freshman year, after failed stints in baseball and football, I realized I needed to change my approach to school. I wanted to be involved, so I turned to clubs and organizations.
MV’s public speaking class, “Performance Studies,” was the first stepping stone to my speaking career. I originally joined the class to ensure I was calm under pressure during my FBLA State presentation event, not expecting to fulfill leadership roles in my high school career. In this class, we performed speeches, and for my final project, I created my own sports broadcast.
Performance Studies played a larger role in my high school career than I had expected, due to a sudden promotion in Student Council. I was sitting in World Geography when the entire Student Council Executive Board rushed into the class, urging me to attend the LEDSC meeting and run for Treasurer. A couple of months later, I stood in front of 600 Little Egypt Student Council members, giving my candidate speech at Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. “Calm under pressure” is not exactly how I would describe my performance in the Student Center. Although I became the new LEDSC Treasurer, I knew I had more room for improvement.
One year later, the LEDSC convention moved to the Benton Civic Center, and it was my turn to take the step from District to State in the Student Council world. I gave my farewell speech and felt relaxed. State First Vice President Parker Johnson described me as “a completely different person than the year before,” and Dr. VanZandt said I “did an amazing job without stuttering.” I used these positive comments as reassurance for my next challenge, FBLA State 2024, where I would run for the office of Reporter.
At State, I was called to the back with current State Treasurer Ruth Okedina, and we were ushered to the entrance ramp with shouts of “come on” and “hurry up.” It felt like a TV broadcast with perfectly timed cues, which did nothing to calm my nerves. I was the first candidate to give a speech, and I felt like a quarterback under stadium pressure. As I spoke in front of 1,300 members, I could feel my cheeks shaking and the sweat in my hair worsening. It felt as if I had tunnel vision. Despite this, I only counted myself stuttering twice and managed to keep a slow pace within the two-minute time frame. I see State 2024 as a pivotal moment in my speaking career because speaking in front of so many people at such a young age is a rare opportunity. My speech was good enough to win the office of Reporter, and I currently work on editing the website and posting to social media for Illinois FBLA.
Student Council and Future Business Leaders of America have provided me with countless opportunities, and I would not have achieved as much without the skill of public speaking. Sometimes, one must step out of their comfort zone and try something new, even without a guarantee of success. These new experiences can lead to personal growth and opportunities that once seemed unattainable.
