Overcoming Fear, Sharing My Story by Elle

Overcoming Fear, Sharing My Story by Elle - November 2019 Scholarship Essay

For many people, the prospect of public speaking is more frightening than death. Some would rather die than speak in public. I understand that; public speaking is a nerve-wracking and emotionally vulnerable task. I used to do all that I could to avoid public speaking, but that was when I found I did not have much to say. A year ago, though, I discovered that the need to share my story and perspective outweighed my fear of sharing it.

I go to a small, private Christian school in rural Oregon. While from the outside you would think that everyone that attends Triad has a strong, personal relationship with God, that isn’t necessarily true. Being a newer Christian, I have seen firsthand the incredible impact that a relationship with God creates. I was inspired to share my journey to God with my peers, and luckily Triad was able to offer me the opportunity to do so. Triad has chapel services where a speaker shares a message once a week. After meticulously planning my message, I signed up for a speaking slot at chapel. A few weeks later when I spoke at chapel, I shared my Christian testimony and elaborated on the changes I have seen in my life as a result of finding God. While I didn’t expect to make a huge impact on the student body at the time, sharing my message at chapel allowed me to share the Word of God with my peers, inspire and motivate them, and make myself a relatable outlet for them to find help if they needed it.

As a Christian, the most important impact I made the day I spoke was sharing the Word of God with my peers. We have Bible classes daily and do teacher-led devotionals, but many students told me that my message meant so much more because it came from a student. They were more impacted by my testimony because they find me much more relatable than a teacher. I am glad to have been someone in whom they could find an impactful message.

In addition to sharing the Word of God with my peers, I inspired them to become more involved, and even to share their own messages. I am heavily involved in my school environment; I am president of the Key Club, an active Student Council member, Varsity Cheer Captain, and lead guitarist on the Worship Team, just to name a few of my activities. After I spoke, some students that heard my message were inspired to become more involved at school and to make their own impact. Additionally, after my chapel service, several other students found the confidence to share their own testimonies and messages just as I did. It was a humbling experience to have friends and acquaintances tell me that I was their inspiration to make a difference.

Finally, another area of my impact was that I made myself available for those in hardship. My life has been nowhere close to easy. I have dealt with grief, sorrow, pain, severe anxiety, and fear for almost my entire life. I made myself vulnerable and shared these trials with my classmates. And at the end of my message, I made sure to offer myself for support of anyone who needs it. I made myself relatable to those who are suffering and gave them an outlet for relief in times of need. It hurts me to think about the pain that some of my classmates are enduring, and the fact that I can be there for them comforts me.

When I outlined my message for that chapel, I didn’t expect much to change. I didn’t expect to impact my friends and peers as I did. But through speaking that day, I impacted my student body in multiple ways. While I used to be plagued by the fear of public speaking, I now know that overcoming that fear not only helped me but my fellow students as well.