As I walked up to the lectern, I could feel my heart banging against my chest. I wished I could melt into the wall and disappear. It seemed like an hour passed before I reached the front of the room. I felt my body shaking because of my nerves, but it was worth it in the end. I learned many valuable lessons from public speaking at AYC.

Before getting into how my speech actually went, let me give you some background.

I have had several terrible experiences with public speaking in the past. I easily become a jellyfish when I see what seems like 1,000 eyes staring at me. At school, I almost never raise my hand to answer or ask questions. It is normal for me to become almost invisible in class because I loathe speaking up, even in front of friends.

A few days before we gave our “Icebreaker” speeches at camp, we had a lecture about doing everything with all of our might. We were told that by putting in extra effort, even if we did not really enjoy an activity, our attitude toward it would change for the better.

From that point forward, I determined to use camp to overcome my fear of public speaking.

Back to my “Icebreaker.” While standing in front of the lectern was difficult at first, as I began speaking, I felt a little more relaxed. I recalled another lecture that discussed thinking of others when giving a speech. With this in mind, I tried to focus more on giving my best and thinking less about my own feelings. Even though my voice wavered a bit, I pushed myself through my speech because I knew I had to complete what I started.

Through participating in public speaking at camp, I learned that when giving a speech, everything about you has to exude confidence, including the very first steps you take to the lectern. Yet you do not need to fear being in the front of the room at AYC because everyone seated in the audience wants to hear what you have to share. Approaching the lectern with a smile on your face always helps put both the audience and yourself at ease.

I also learned to be fully prepared. Proper preparation yields great success. Administrators taught us that the best way to prepare is to write out any main points first. They told us that we should then practice out loud how we want to deliver it. It is not ideal to memorize it or it will not sound natural. In addition, I learned to add a sense of humor because that helps break the ice.

While delivering my speech, I concentrated hard so that I did not drone on in a monotonous tone of voice. Otherwise, I might have put the audience to sleep! I also learned that it is beneficial to take a deep breath before you begin speaking to help you relax.

Many people fear public speaking—including me—but delivering a speech at AYC taught me that I can change. I am exceedingly glad that I was able to overcome my fear of public speaking while there.

I will take the lessons I learned, apply them, and face any future speaking opportunities with enthusiasm!