Speak Out! A Non-Profit Public Speaking Training Program for 'Tweens! by Grace

Speak Out! A Non-Profit Public Speaking Training Program for 'Tweens! by Grace - February 2020 Scholarship Essay

Growing up, I was shy and didn’t like talking in public. There were many times I wanted to speak up, but I wasn’t always comfortable making my point in a crowd.

By middle school, I was participating in groups that required me to speak publicly and it was very uncomfortable. It was then I decided if I had to be a public speaker, I would do whatever it took to become a good, if not great, one.

I started practicing and accepting requests to speak at everything from my middle school graduation to serving as a church lector in front of 500 people regularly. I spoke about the work of a local food pantry. I entered a high school public speaking competition and won a scholarship. In short, through hard work and determination, I conquered my fear – and realized I could help others conquer theirs as well.

Through qualitative and quantitative research, I had learned that I was not alone with my discomfort talking to a crowd and that at some point in their life, nearly everyone is called upon to speak publicly. However, only about 10% of the world's 7 billion people actually enjoy it and they experience no fear and are genuinely excited about talking in front of a large crowd. But, for the remaining 90% of those in the world, public speaking is a problem. As comedian and noted observer of human nature Jerry Seinfeld put it, most people would “rather be the guy in the coffin than the one giving the eulogy.” Because of this background, I knew there were a lot of people I could help.

I decided I wanted to make a difference and help solve this issue by teaching ‘tweens and early teens to conquer their public speaking fears at a young age. I learned that the best presenters are those who got comfortable speaking publicly early – before the fear set in. Oprah Winfrey, John F. Kennedy, and Brad Pitt are just a few examples of people who learned the power of public speaking through their school speech clubs.

I decided to develop my own non-profit organization five years ago called “Speak Out for ‘Tweens!” This is a free public speaking training program for low-income middle school students. “Speak Out for ‘Tweens!” combines a kick-off presentation with a six-month after-school public speaking club that culminates in an end-of-year speech competition. The goal is for all participants to walk away more confident, more articulate and enjoy, not fear, public speaking. A secondary goal is to help students with a financial need earn speech scholarships to the school of their choice.

I led “Speak Out for ‘Tweens!” for the four years while I was in high school, devoting 600+ hours and training more than 100+ middle-school participants, seven of whom earned tuition scholarships. “Speak Out for ‘Tweens!” was promoted on schools’ web sites, newsletters and in the local media. Word of the event reached more than 100,000 people. The newspaper article, magazine article and five-minute video links here summarize the work I have done to make “Speak Out for ‘Tweens!” successful: https://youtu.be/se0JSkG4k-M and March 2017 ( page35) and https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-magazine/march-april-2019/top-teens/5/

Upon starting college this fall, I decided to offer “Speak Out!” to adults to help them overcome their public speaking fears too. I redesigned my curriculum to fit into a compressed time frame and now offer it to my college peers through organizations such as Women in Business and Minorities in Hospitality, as well as business organizations such as Rotary International. Much like my program for ‘tweens, the requests keep coming.

Thanks to my experience with Speak Out!, I am motivated by the idea of developing large-scale events that resolve hard issues and find solutions for those in need. Events like Live Aid, Special Olympics and The Susan Komen Race for the Cure are just a few examples of how special events have the power to change the world. I have chosen to major in event management in college because I believe with this career I can make a difference that can improve people’s lives. The following link summarizes the work I have done to start focusing on my career: https://youtu.be/ZefCzgU7fXE

In closing, Speak Out! has meant a great deal to me as it has helped me find my voice and teach other young people how to find theirs when they believed they did not have one.