Page 20 - 2017 December Voices

Gradual Growth

by Ryaan Akmal

Having been thrown The first few weeks were a rude awakening; being
into a Toastmasters Gavel VPE is a much more communication-heavy and
Club only a year or two work-intensive job than I was used to. But with
ago and now serving as Toastmasters, I knew I could rise to the challenge.
Vice President Education, Ryaan Akmal is a sophomore at Sunset High School,
I can say that a lot has happened very quickly in and has been a part of the youth Gavel Club, Future
my Toastmasters experience. Stars, for 2 years.
I was introduced to the Future Stars club Future Stars Gavel Club, is a youth communication
by my cousin. At the time, she was finishing and leadership club administered by Toastmasters
her second year as President. When the next International, helping the young people of today
election day rolled around, I weighed the options become the great leaders of tomorrow! The club is
carefully, and put my name in for Sergeant of open to all middle school and high school aged kids. It
Arms (which may or may not have been the only gives them the opportunity to become better listeners,
job I had the qualifications for). After crushing thinkers, speakers and leaders.
my competition—running unopposed—I had The club meets weekly during the school year
become an officer. every Saturday from 10:30am-12:00pm at 4115 SW
At first, being a Sergeant at Arms wasn’t 160th Avenue, Beaverton, Oregon 97007 in the first
too exciting. Don’t get me wrong, I was always room in the portal. To learn more about Future Stars
diligent in my tasks and performed all of my roles or to visit the club, pleas contact Coach Humaira at
to the best of my ability; but I didn’t feel like I futurestarspdx@gmail.com. Visitors are encouraged to
was growing. At officers meetings I would sit in visit the club and see for themselves why Future Stars
our little circle, not engaged or participating. should be part of their educational journey.
However, there was a fundamental shift
somewhere in my thinking—it would be
impossible to tell when. With experience and Toastmasters . . . It
exposure, I had gained a full sense of what our
club was doing and how it worked. Armed with isn’t some hack to make
that realization, I engaged with the club with
renewed vigor. I actively worked to make sure you extroverted or to
meetings ran smoothly behind the scenes, filling turn you into a flawless
in missing roles, making sure everyone knows
what they should be doing. communicator. It’s about
Looking back on it now, even though I felt
like I wasn’t gaining anything, I was gradually fostering and nurturing
growing the entire time. I never realized it until
I took a moment to look back from where I once your inner leader, your
came. I see now that that’s what Toastmasters is all inner communicator.
about. It isn’t some hack to make you extroverted
or to turn you into a flawless communicator. It’s Toastmasters is about
about fostering and nurturing your inner leader,
your inner communicator. Toastmasters is about raising people up to their
raising people up to their potential, not taking
them there. potential, not taking them
When it was time again for another election there.
year, I knew I was ready for more responsibility. I
took up the mantle of Vice President Education.

20 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 6 DECEMBER, 2017