Commencement Speech

When I hear the phrase “public speaking,” the most familiar example that comes to mind is speaking behind a podium, addressing a group of people, and providing the audience with a significant message. For me, public speaking is terrifying and whenever I am in the position to deliver a speech to a group of people, I feel very nervous and vulnerable. However, speaking directly to my classmates at our high school commencement ceremony was surprisingly not terrifying at all. I was named the Salutatorian of my high school graduating class. When I heard the news that I would be making a speech at graduation, I immediately started feeling nervous. Not only was I going to be speaking to my classmates, but also to their families. I practiced my speech in front of the mirror numerous times and also presented my speech to my close friends which made me feel as though I was well prepared. When the time came to present my speech at the ceremony, an unusual feeling of calmness came over me. Practicing my speech made it easy for me to present my farewell words to my classmates in a clear, strong way. The audience’s eye contact and undivided attention for the duration of the speech made me feel very comfortable. At the end of my speech, my classmates stood up simultaneously and applauded. Those moments gave me a great deal of confidence and courage to stand before an audience and speak. I’m sure that public speaking will never be my favorite thing to do, but this experience absolutely helped me deal with my fear of speaking.