Chris Lara; April 8, 2014
When I was
nominated to be in the National Honor Society (NHS), I knew I would have to
make a stunning entrance. After I was inducted, I was asked to write a small
speech on one of the four pillars that NHS is based on; scholarship. I wrote about the virtue of scholarships, how they
affect the student body, and what effect they have on my life. After I wrote
the speech, I had to present it. This was the hardest part of being in the NHS,
but it taught me many valuable lessons.
Last Friday,
I gave the speech at the induction ceremony hosted in the Detroit Cristo Rey
gym. Attending the ceremony were the 19 inductees, the entire school (excluding
the seniors), and parents. This meant that there was a small crowd to witness
my first speech, and this was a perfect opportunity to show my potential in
public speaking. I was the first of the four people giving speeches, so I had
to initiate. I stood at the podium with my speech in hand, my stomach clenched,
and a throat cleared for speaking.
I gave the
speech better than I thought I would. I spoke as clearly as I could, while
looking both at my audience and my script. I could not paraphrase my speech
because I was intending on giving it my best, so every word I said came right
from the script I wrote. I kept my back straight, but I could feel my hands
shake. I was thinking that I was going to choke, so I cleared my mind and
finished the speech. Afterwards, I lit the ceremonial candle and took my seat.
I felt proud of my work and was happy I was able to attend the ceremony.
I also learned
some tips on how to present better. An example would be: instead of stuttering
on my words, I would think about what is happening at the moment and only at that
moment. This helped me get through my speech without any repetition and kept my
voice understandable. I also learned that if I clear my mind before, I could
keep it clear for as long as I wanted. I had an amazing time at the ceremony
and I hope the National Honor Society has many more surprises in store for me.
Comments
Post a Comment