Sara May grew up being a very outgoing and energetic young girl. She always enjoyed dancing and being part of performances. However, she was always shy when it came to public speaking. She didn’t mind dancing  because she never had to speak or say a word to the audience. Before she ever had to speak to an audience, she would get butterflies that would eventually make her feel sick.

When she reached high school, Sara May’s soon found out that she would have to do a lot of public speaking. Every year, at the end of the first semester, she was required to make a PowerPoint presentation and present it to two teachers as they would grade her on it. She was graded on her presentation skills and her work. Every time this part of the school year came near, she became stressed out and nervous. Whenever she presented, her hands would get cold and sweat. She would also forget some of the things she needed to say and she would stutter a lot. Several times, in the middle of her presentation, she would choke up and have an awkward pause.

Besides all of this, Sara May has no trouble participating in class. After all her portfolio presentations in high school, she has become more comfortable talking in class or in front of people. She has also done well at improving while she has made a mistake or forgotten what to say. Before her presentations, she remembers to prepare note cards in which would help her review what she had to say. However, she still gets nervous on some occasions when she knows that she is getting graded. One thing that Sara May wishes she could do better is use a more sophisticated language during her presentations. Another thing that she struggles with is putting her ideas into words. Many times, she has a lot of ideas but when it comes to sharing and explaining them, she becomes stuck. Overall,  she has developed a lot on public speaking and communicating. With Sara May’s energetic personality, she finds a way to make herself relaxed and prepared for any speaking that that has to do.

By: Mariluz Rosa