Lizbeth Leyva - blog 1

 My Public Speaking Journey So far 

Before I took this class I didn’t think much about public speaking. I always thought it was something people were just naturally good at or not. I never really felt confident when speaking in front of others. I would get nervous and just try to get it over with as fast as possible. But after going through this course and being part of all the presentations I’ve realized public speaking is more than just talking. It’s a skill that you can build and something that can actually be really useful in everyday life.

What I Learned From Class Presentations

During class we had different groups present chapters from the textbook. I liked this because it helped break down the material in a way that was easy to understand. Each group had a different topic so I learned something new from every presentation. The topics were all connected to public speaking but each one focused on different parts like audience, preparation, research, and delivery.

One thing I remember clearly is how important it is to understand your audience. Before I didn’t really think about who I was speaking to. I would just say my part and hope for the best. But now I understand that the way you talk should depend on who’s listening. You should speak in a way that makes sense for the people in the room. For example if you are speaking to college students like us you might use examples that relate to school or everyday student life. This makes people pay attention more because they feel like the topic is connected to them.

Another big thing I learned is how to deal with anxiety. I always used to get nervous when speaking. I would worry about messing up or forgetting something. But one of the groups talked about ways to manage nerves. They mentioned things like breathing slowly staying calm and reminding yourself that it’s okay to make small mistakes. That really helped me change the way I think about public speaking. I still get nervous sometimes but now I know how to handle it better.

Starting the Civic Engagement Project

Now that we are working on the Civic Engagement Project I feel like everything I’ve learned is being used in a real way. My group chose to work on education and healthcare. We picked these two topics because they matter a lot to college students. These are issues we deal with every day and we wanted to talk about why they’re important.

For healthcare we looked into how hard it can be for students to get the care they need. Some students don’t have insurance or they avoid going to the doctor because it costs too much. That can really affect someone’s health and even their school performance. For education we talked about how not all students have the same access to support or resources. Some people struggle to keep up because they don’t have help or because they are working full time. These are real problems that affect students and we wanted to show that through our project.

My Role in the Project

When it came time to present, I was really nervous. Even though we were doing it over Zoom, I still felt uncomfortable. It’s not the same as being in front of a class, but it still made me anxious. I was worried about messing up or saying something wrong. I kept overthinking everything, and I was rushing through it without even realizing. I know that if it had been in person, I would’ve been even more nervous. Speaking in front of a live audience has always been hard for me. I’ve never really been able to present comfortably in public.

But I also understand that this is what the class is for. I’m here to get better and learn how to speak with more confidence. Even though I struggled, I still got through it, and that’s a big step for me. This project gave me a chance to practice and pick up some good tips. I learned how to stay calm, how to prepare better, and how to organize my thoughts. I know I’m not perfect at it, but that’s okay. I just want to keep practicing and get better each time I do it. 

Why This Project Matters to Me

This project is different from other school assignments because it’s about real life. We’re not just doing it for a grade. We’re trying to make something that could actually help someone. That makes it feel more meaningful. I think a lot of students want to speak up about things they care about but don’t always know how. This project gave me a way to do that.

I also learned how important it is to do good research. You can’t just talk about something without knowing the facts. We used government websites and reliable sources to make sure our information was correct. At the same time we didn’t want it to sound boring or like a report. We added real examples and talked about how these issues affect people personally. That balance between facts and real stories is something I’ll remember for future presentations.

Working with my group was a good experience too. Everyone had different strengths and we helped each other out. Some people were good at research others were better at designing or writing. We all worked together to make sure the final project was strong. I learned that teamwork is a big part of speaking and presenting because you’re not always going to be working alone.

Final Thoughts

Realizing that just one positive experience you have in a class can make such a difference,I used to think public speaking was just something I had to get through. Now I see it as something that can be powerful. It’s a way to share ideas and speak on things that matter. I’m more comfortable now when I speak in front of people. I know how to prepare I know how to keep the audience in mind and I know how to stay calm even if things don’t go perfectly.

This project also showed me that using your voice can make a difference. We don’t have to be experts or professionals to talk about important issues. We just have to care and be willing to share what we’ve learned. Whether it’s education healthcare or any other topic we all have something to say. And now I feel more ready to say it.

I’m glad I’m taking this class and worked on this project. I learned skills that I can use not just in school but in life. Whether I’m giving a speech working on a group project or just talking to someone about something I care about I now know how to speak clearly and with purpose. Public speaking isn’t just about being loud or perfect. It’s about being real and being heard .