Contest Attendance Encourages Diann

As a newcomer to Toastmasters, I attended the Division B Speech Contest on Friday, October 24 to support my close friend and mentor, Allison Fries, who was competing in the Evaluator Contest. I was to be one of the Sergeant at Arms for the competition. I had no idea what the competition would be like but was excited to help, meet new people, and maybe learn something in the process.

Test Speaker, Jamaal Mellerson

After a quick Sergeant at Arms training, I took my place and the contest began. Sitting next to the speaker platform allowed me to listen and watch the speakers up close, and without any distractions. The test speaker blew me away with his speech! I took note of the way he talked, the tone of his voice, the volume of certain words for emphasis and his use of the stage to his advantage.

I went there for my mentor but personally gained so much more, it was a very different experience than the weekly club meetings. At the weekly meetings, it is a family-like environment and is focused on building and honing our skills; while the competition is more application, taking the skills learned and applying them.

Division B Governor, Tracy Speyer

I met the Division B Governor, Tracy Speyer and talked to her about her time & experiences in Toastmasters. I am very excited about being a member of Toastmasters and I believe this competition fueled the desire in me to become a self-confident and dynamic speaker, whether I am talking to a group of people or chatting with my close friends.

I would like to encourage every new member to attend one of the speech competitions to listen and learn from existing members. As the test speaker said, we all have a story inside of us waiting to be told. Thanks to what I learned, I feel I am better prepared to tell my story of surviving breast cancer.

I am very enthusiast about attending the next competition.

Submitted By
Diann Geoffroy
Nationstar Speaks