Center News

Miranda, Communication Consultant

One time I was in a consultation with a female speaker who was a student in the intro level communication class, CST -105. From the start of the consultation I could tell that she was a little shy, she spoke very quietly and often looked at the ground when she talked.

I started off the consultation with a smile, and tried as best I could to make her feel comfortable. About ten minutes into the consultation, I could see her getting kind of squeamish because it was almost time for her to practice.

She got up, stood in front of the desk and immediately began crying. I was so confused she hadn’t even opened her mouth yet. I had no idea what to do. I ran and got her some tissue and we talked for the rest of the consultation. She said that she was never good at public speaking, and that it completely terrifies her. I was able to explain to her that even I, a consultant that works at the SPEAKING center, experience speaking anxiety sometimes , and that she is not alone.

During the consultation we went over some tips and tricks for managing speaking anxiety. Before she left she thanked me for actually taking the time to help her and come up with ways that could help her manage her fear. She ended up coming back later on in semester and she thanked me again. She told me that she still uses the tips we discussed, and that they have made her a better speaker. Being able to help her really warmed my heart.