Nuavia Stewart
The Corsair
Have you ever been in a position where you were asked to speak in front of a crowd of people on the fly? Fear and anxiety sets in, and suddenly your thoughts go blank. Well, fear no more.
Toast of the Coast, located on the Pensacola Campus, is part of Toastmasters International, a non-profit educational organization focused on developing communication and leadership skills for those who are eager to master the “art” of public speaking.
Toast of the Coast began in April, 2010. The club accommodates all age groups from a variety of cultural and academic backgrounds. The meetings are hands-on, in which members present speeches and others offer tips for improvement. The feedback process is key to the program’s success, according to the group’s Web site, toastmasters.org.
College Americorp Vista Volunteer Grace Bohnhoff has been a member of the club since August, 2010 and currently is the sergeant at arms. The organization’s mission and feedback are the main reasons she chose to become involved.
“You get the training that you need at the pace that you need,” she said. “You engage in different opportunities to speak and Toastmasters does a great job at instilling in the members the process of evaluation, so that constructive criticism is always positive and motivational.
“It aids you in gaining the confidence and the communication skills desired to master the art of public speaking in an informal atmosphere, so you know that when you stand up in front of an audience you are prepared to present yourself in such a way that captivates the audience. For example, I have mastered the art of eliminating the verbal ticks (using the words um and ah) in my vocabulary.”
Eliminating the verbal ticks is just one of the many skills one can learn. Body language, job interviewing, organizing personal thoughts, telling an impromptu funny joke, motivation and confidence are some of the other skills that can be mastered.
You get to know the “who’s who” of professionals working in the community who are making a difference and who are more than willing to give you a wealth of information. John Boyd of Clearwater has been a member of the Epicenter division G for roughly three years. In his first year with the club, he was awarded district champion in the valuation speech contest and second in the humorous speech contest for his division.
“On a personal level, it feels good to not only sharpen my speaking skills but also being a leader in my club allows me to mentor new members and watch them grow,” he said. “I’d like to someday become a professional speaker and I hear winning competitions are a good way to do it. I’m gaining valuable tools to assist in my upcoming speaking career while allowing me weekly opportunities to practice speaking and leadership skills.”