Public speaking has always found a way to make my heart skip two beats. No matter the situation, whether a room full of friends, or a five hundred student lecture hall, I always end with nervous fidgeting and anxiety. After trying to get over my fear by taking classes and becoming president of an organization, I’m finally overcoming what I’ve struggled with all my life.
To my dismay, my curriculum forced me to take a speech and public communications class my freshman year of college. Coming from a small hometown, I was used to classes smaller than twenty students, so when I walked in to find a classroom twice that size, I instantly panicked. I wasn’t sure how an awkward small town girl like me was supposed to stand up with poise in front of these students I’d never seen. As weeks went by, I found the class to be rather helpful. While the speeches I gave were with rapid breaths, clumsy movements, and little eye contact, I found that I wasn’t the only student in the world to struggle with standing in front of crowds. From that class I took away habits to avoid when speaking, how to pace a speech, and thankfully I learned how to properly structure a speech. By the end, my obstacle was a little less daunting.
Running a club and volunteering to stand in front of a group of people weekly was never a thought that occurred to me. Sophomore year, while I was merely just a member of Be The Match on Campus, I slowly convinced myself that I had what it took to lead this group. Our president was leaving and looking for a replacement and unexpectedly everyone looked to me to take over. Instead of doubting my abilities and denying the opportunity I instead headed straight toward the elections. To my amazement, I was chosen to be the next president! This position has since started and it’s becoming increasingly painless for me to be the primary speaker.
From my two years in college that has included a speech class, standing in front of five hundred students, and giving presentations as the president of a club, I’ve progressed more than I ever thought I would. This battle to get through has since become easier and I now find myself volunteering for such opportunities to speak rather than shying away with fear.
