Center News

Tiera, Communication Consultant

I can remember my very first solo session at the Speaking Center— exciting, yet horrifying all at the same time. I had taken all semester crawling, learning and receiving all of the tools I needed in order for me to successfully lead a session, though In my mind, I was unsure if I was actually ready; either way, it was my time to walk and do things all on my own.

3:00PM read the clock, and my speaker was patiently waiting for her turn to work with me. I tried not to seem nervous as I smiled, welcoming her into one of the consultation rooms. As we began, the nervousness began to go away. Though it was her first time ever coming into the Speaking Center, it seemed to me like she had been sometime before. She was so eager to watch the video of her speech. Her excitement immediately rubbed off on me.

While watching her video, I noticed just how great of a job she had done with really bringing her speech to life! It was quite entertaining and offered me quite a bit of laughs too! After discussing the speech with her, she expressed how thankful she was as she repeatedly complimented me on my consulting expertise. I could not thank her enough for allowing my solo experience to be the first and one of the best sessions I had ever had. Of course, I had to recommend her as a future consultant; she seemed like the perfect addition to our Speaking Center family! Her presence was all it took to give me the reassurance I needed. It was at that moment, that I knew I was ready to be an official Speaking Consultant.