~8/17/2021 (start of G12)

At the start of grade 12, we (as seniors) had to speak at a panel to introduce our service to 11th graders who have to chose a service to join. I struggle with public speaking because it scares me a lot, so this was a huge challenge to me. I actually didn’t want to do it alone, but decided I may as well step out of my comfort zone. To overcome this challenge, I went over my introduction many times both in my head and to the chair. I familiarized myself with our service’s mission once again, and told myself the speaking part was just a simple task.

In the end, I did end up doing well. Luckily, only three students came to our panel session, so it was less pressure. On the other hand, I had to go first out of all five seniors, which added to my nervousness. I overcame this by speaking clearly and pausing when I needed. There were times when I stuttered, but I just kept going and the short introduction turned out okay. This was a huge step out of my comfort zone, and I risked embarrassing myself. But speaking in front of people is an important skill to have in life, and I really wanted to improve on communicating my thoughts verbally. I hope I can improve on my public speaking over time and perfect it in the future. (LO2, challenge)