TTFN!

Coming into this semester, I have to admit I was not looking forward to this class at all. I don't want to have to give speeches in front of all of these people that I don't know! was the first thought that ran through my mind. I was never a big fan of speaking in public or in front of people in general, even though I am an actress (which seems COMPLETELY different for some reason...) So I was interested to see how this class was going to end up..

When we got the topic for our first speeches I didn't know what to do, I didn't think that I had a culture. Once I figured one out, though, I thought I would be fine. I was most concerned about the time limit and either being under or going over. Overall, though I felt very confident about this speech because it was on a topic that I knew a lot about and felt very comfortable talking about. But when it came to the speech day, I wasn't sure how I felt. When I knew my turn was coming up, I could feel the butterflies in my stomach and my heart started racing. I don't know exactly why this always happens, you'd think I'd be over this by now considering I should be used to being on stage and stuff, but nevertheless it does. However, I realized once I got to the podium I was fine! I found the same to be true for the next speech, as well. The only difference between the two speeches was that I was not nearly as comfortable with the second one. I was fairly apprehensive when it came to thinking about giving that speech. As opposed to the first one, it was on a topic that I haven't been immersed in since a young age, and most of it was new material that I was researching. I've found that it's easier to talk about something that's more familiar to you on a personal level than something that has been researched.

However, this class has really taught me how to present myself in front of an audience. I have come to find that when I speak in front of people, my voice is no longer quivery and I'm able to keep it at a consistent inflection and tone that is easy to listen to and not distracting. I'm also getting better at controlling my movements and making them less distracting and awkward as well... In the long run, knowing how to speak in front of people will really be beneficial to my line of work, going into management. So in leaving this class, I'm leaving with a stronger sense of confidence and I had a great experience overall. And there's no one else to thank other than Mia and my LEAPers! Thank you, everyone! :)