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    My Greatest Instrument

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    Ruben Dario Barros Gonzalez
    The author expresses themselves through public speaking. They found their passion for it at a young age when participating in 4-H competitions. As a teenager, they were selected to introduce a presidential candidate on national television with only one day to prepare. They received a standing ovation and praise for their speech. Since then, the author has pursued many public speaking opportunities and credits their early experiences with shaping their career and life.

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    My Greatest Instrument

    Uploaded by

    Ruben Dario Barros Gonzalez
    476 views2 pages
    The author expresses themselves through public speaking. They found their passion for it at a young age when participating in 4-H competitions. As a teenager, they were selected to introduce a presidential candidate on national television with only one day to prepare. They received a standing ovation and praise for their speech. Since then, the author has pursued many public speaking opportunities and credits their early experiences with shaping their career and life.

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    The author expresses themselves through public speaking. They found their passion for it at a young age when participating in 4-H competitions. As a teenager, they were selected to introduce a presidential candidate on national television with only one day to prepare. They received a standing ovation and praise for their speech. Since then, the author has pursued many public speaking opportunities and credits their early experiences with shaping their career and life.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    476 views2 pages

    My Greatest Instrument

    Uploaded by

    Ruben Dario Barros Gonzalez
    The author expresses themselves through public speaking. They found their passion for it at a young age when participating in 4-H competitions. As a teenager, they were selected to introduce a presidential candidate on national television with only one day to prepare. They received a standing ovation and praise for their speech. Since then, the author has pursued many public speaking opportunities and credits their early experiences with shaping their career and life.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 2

    My Greatest Instrument

    Some people express themselves through beautiful art; others are


    masters of the page and speak silently through writing. I, on the other hand,
    express myself with the greatest instrument I have, my voice. I make my living
    by speaking to groups large and small. Nothing gives me more satisfaction than
    public speaking, and my interest in public speaking began when I was quite
    young.

    At age eight I realized that I belonged in front of an audience. I started


    giving demonstrations and speeches in local county 4-H competitions until I was
    eligible to participate in state competitions. I won every state competition that I
    entered.

    Soon other public speaking opportunities arose; I represented an artist


    named Ann Cross at the Art Walk in Keene and was an active participant on the
    debate team and the captain in eighth grade. During March of eighth grade, I
    had the best opportunity yet to practice my oratorical skills: I was selected, out
    of all the students entered in New Hampshire, to write and read a four-minute
    speech on national television. My job was to introduce Elizabeth Dole, who at
    the time was interested in running for president.

    I was notified the day before the event and so had only one night to write
    and memorize my speech. When I arrived the next morning in Bedford, New
    Hampshire, I was greeted by photographers, camera crews, and newspaper
    reporters! Then I was escorted backstage to meet Elizabeth Dole. After
    speaking briefly with her and having her review my speech, we marched
    through a crowd of flashing bulbs to our places on the stage.

    Soon it was time for my speech. I was introduced, and as I walked to the
    podium, I couldnt help but smile at the audience. I had a feeling of complete
    exhilaration flowing through my veins. When I finished, I received a standing
    ovation, and Mrs. Dole surprised me by giving me a great hug and thanking me
    for my comments on the importance of education. But even after she finished
    speaking, the excitement was far from over.

    I was with her for all her photographs, and I was interviewed for a few
    moments by WMUR and later by the Keene Sentinel. After the media finished
    with us, I met various supporters of Mrs. Doles. They were all happy to meet
    me and flooded me with questions and praise. I truly felt on top of the world.

    After that, I participated in various competitions and events. My favorite by


    far was Young Chataqua, a wonderful summer program. In Chataqua I
    portrayed the life of Margaret Bourke-White, a pioneer photographer, in a 12-
    minute monologue that took a month to research, prepare, and memorize. It
    was an amazing experience. Although the other students and I were only
    expected to perform our monologues once, two other organizations asked me to
    speak.

    After Chataqua, I participated in my first play, Everybodys Crazy, and I


    organized a debate team at my high school. I continued my 4-H activities, did
    volunteer work, went to Chataqua each year, and participated in the American
    Legions Oratorical Contest.

    Those powerful first experiences transformed my life and gave me a


    career that I love. As I look back on a life shaped by public speaking, I feel a
    great debt of gratitude to that eight-year-old girl who first got up in front of
    crowds at the county fair. She helped me become the person I am today.

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