Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Going the Extra Mile

I absolutely hate speaking in front of people...all throughout school, I would worry myself sick over giving presentations or being on stage. It's gotten better over the years but I still would rather not do it. So, you can imagine that I was a little freaked out when I was asked, on Friday, to give a motivational speech the following Monday. Granted, it was for 7th and 8th graders, but it was still scary!
The motivational speech was for a pep rally at Harrison Elementary, a Grand Rapids Public School. Grand Valley has partnered with Harrison Park to help with raising kids' awareness of college and getting them motivated to work hard. My speech was about success and how to achieve it. I also talked about what college is like (dorms, food, classes, etc.) Afterwords, the kids asked a lot of good questions.
The speech was a big success. The kids were very interested in what I had to say, and were extremely excited to meet someone fresh out of college. They are truly interested in college and just need the tools and the help to get there. They have even been begging for mentors to help them stay focused in class. It really inspired me to do what I can to help kids reach their goals. Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone can truly pay off!

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