Page 19 - 2016 September Voices!

ideas about whether other life exists in the
universe. His topic was based on a research
question he had explored in one of his college
classes.
Gustavo joined Toastmasters two years ago
to face his fear of public speaking. “You should
have seen my shirt after my first speech,” he says.
“It was drenched in sweat. My friend said, ‘You
look like you just ran a 5K,’ and I said, ‘I was just
up there giving my speech.’”
He hid his anxiety well at the recent meeting,
using a PowerPoint presentation to show data
while walking confidently around the front of
the room as he spoke. He is working toward
earning a Competent Communicator award
through Toastmasters.
“It looks great on your resume, and you get
to improve your skills,” he says. “I want to be a
personal trainer, and I’ll have to talk in front of
strangers all the time.”
But that’s not the only way he sees the group
helping him. “Sometimes we have to go in front
of judges and important people,” he says. “Not
being scared and having the right skills helps
a lot.”
The timer held up a yellow card to show speaker Gustavo P. that his
speech had reached the six-minute mark.
Several members say that joining
Toastmasters — and finding support there
from staff and other youth — has helped them
discover skills they didn’t know they had.
Brandon D. first found his talent for public
speaking several years ago when he was asked to
speak at his high school graduation at Hillcrest
Youth Correctional Facility. When he transferred
to MacLaren earlier this year, Toastmasters
seemed like a natural fit.
“I really like to reach out to people, put words
together, and see what happens,” he says. “Public
speaking is something that the majority of people think
Volume 3 Issue 3 - SEPTEMBER 2016
they can’t do. After you get that confidence, and
you get up there and do it, you just don’t want
to quit.”
“It looks great on your resume, and you get
to improve your skills,” he says. “I want to be a
personal trainer, and I’ll have to talk in front of
strangers all the time.”
But that’s not the only way he sees the group
helping him. “Sometimes we have to go in front
of judges and important people,” he says. “Not
being scared and having the right skills helps
a lot.”
Several members say that joining
Toastmasters — and finding support there
from staff and other youth — has helped them
discover skills they didn’t know they had.
Brandon D. first found his talent for public
speaking several years ago when he was asked to
speak at his high school graduation at Hillcrest
Youth Correctional Facility. When he transferred
to MacLaren earlier this year, Toastmasters
seemed like a natural fit.
“I really like to reach out to people, put
words together, and see what happens,” he says.
“Public speaking is something that the majority
of people think they can’t do. After you get that
confidence, and you get up there and do it, you
just don’t want to quit.”
This article was originally published in the August
2016 Oregon Youth Authority newsletter. It has been
reprinted by permission of the author. Sarah Evans
is the Deputy Communications Manager for Oregon
Youth Authority, Woodburn, Oregon.
“A person who never
made a mistake never
tried anything new”
Albert Einstein
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