In The Ring by Leena

In The Ring by Leena - June 2016 Scholarship Essay

In this nation of three hundred million people, every single person, including you and I, has been in the ring against one common, intimidating opponent: public speaking. The mere mention of this challenger makes our legs tremble with fear, our stomachs queasy with anxiety, and our palms nervous with sweat. However, we overcome this social adversity by getting used to the permanent presence of this social skill. For the timid turtle I used to be, one key event marked the transition out of my shy shell. So, without further ado, put yourselves in my shoes as I step back into the ring.

"You all have three months," my English teacher, Mr. Miller, boomed, informing us of our presentation's deadline, “You all will be graded rigorously. It will not be easy to get an A; only two students every year have received an A.” The class reacted with worried murmurs and groans. In reaction to this intimidating news, my palms broke a sweat, and my heart filled with dread.

Knowing that time was dwindling, I immediately started to prepare for my presentation. Even though it was three months away, anxiety and worry haunted me, lingering in the back of my mind every day and night. To lessen my anxiety and gain some sense of stability and confidence, I planned a timeline of my duties, drafted a script of the speech, and scoured the Internet in search of effective speech delivery tips. For the following days and nights, I researched and rehearsed until my eyes stung from the harsh glare of the laptop screen and my eyes succumbed to Night’s call for sleep.

Today was the day.

Returning from lunch, the students refilled the classroom. My heels click-clacked on the tile floor, counting down the seconds until the start of my presentation, as I went to set up the powerpoint. I double-checked for attire imperfections, glanced at the first notecard, and settled my black, curled tendrils over one shoulder. The class quieted. “Whenever you’re ready, Leena,” my teacher said. I took a deep breath and began to present my three-months’ worth of hard work. With every flip of a notecard and transition of a slide, the shoulder-aching weight of anxiety slowly eased off and a light, calm confidence settled in its place.

I concluded my speech, and the class erupted in applause. “You guys... she set the bar high,” my teacher praised. I returned to my seat, rubric in hand. Slowly smiling from cheek-to-cheek, my heart started to warm with pride: I got an A.

Even though I dreaded this experience of public speaking, I was grateful; by being thrown out into the sea, I learned how to swim. I overcame my social adversity of an ingrained dread of public speaking and transformed from my diffident, shy self to a confident, compelling speaker. For all of life’s obstacles, I’ve learned lessons, and to all shy turtles: I’ve learned that success, indeed, awaits at the edge of one’s comfort zone.