The Courage to Speak

By YOSSELINE DE LEON.

Seventy-five percent of the population has a fear of public speaking; that's over two hundred million people. Morriah shares that she works best in a group setting, where a little bit of pressure is taken off of her. When there are more people up there with her, she finds that it's not so hard to get up in front of the class. A lot of students feel the same pressures when presenting, and many teachers require it as part of their curriculum. 

“I always find presenting pretty nerve racking,” Morriah Melendez, a senior at WHS, confessed. “I can get it done but it definitely takes me a lot of courage, reviewing the slides, and building up the confidence to actually get it done.” Presenting, especially at a young age, feels vulnerable and anxiety inducing. It's hard to feel confident in a room full of your peers who aren't really invested in what you're saying. 

Roughly ninety percent of the anxiety people feel is due to a lack of preparation. Everyone is guilty of it. Not getting enough sleep, not eating breakfast or lunch, and especially not practicing the material enough are all contributing factors to underpreparation. The night before a presentation, people should make sure to get a good night's rest, make a game plan for the day coming, and look over their information one last time. 

The morning of the presentation they should make sure to eat breakfast, wear something they feel confident in, and practice out loud rather than just reading the material off a screen. Another student who also faces public speaking often, has another approach.

Ella Mitchell, another senior at WHS, declared, “I keep in mind that I'm the one who's teaching them, even if I were to mess up and correct myself and they wouldn't have known I messed up in the first place without me telling them. It's easy when you know what you have to say.” She believes that when you know what you're discussing you're one step closer to presenting it. Preparation is key to her success. She sets herself up on the right path from the very beginning.

Morriah sets herself up for success by revising her notes and looking for support from those around her. Instead of reading directly off the screen, she takes time to make sure she truly understands the topic she is presenting. In life people come across many moments that require public speaking, and by preparing themselves for the expectation they can ensure they thrive.