Since I joined Toastmasters in 2014, it’s been fun speaking and leading. But most importantly, my Toastmasters journey has made me believe in myself. In 2015, while working on my first International speech, my mentor Henry said, “Your speech is a gift to your audience. You can change someone’s life with your 7 minute speech.” Before I heard his words, I had spoken for my own benefit. Speaking was an ego boosting thing: It felt good standing on stage, commending people’s attention. But Henry’s wise words changed the course of my speaking journey. My speech, my message, is for someone in the audience. In 2023, District 101 named me the International Speech champion. That boosted my belief that I have something to offer to the world. My winning speech was about my own healing from abuse. But the message was universal that must have touched my audience.
Everyone has a story. This year’s theme that you picked is fantastic. I hope more people share their stories.
Yuki Ascue
I am an enthusiastic person and I love to interact with people and know about culture and lifestyle. After moving to a new country with hardly any friends, building new conversations with people was really challenging for me. My husband encouraged me to join a Toastmaster club. He was an active Toastmaster in India. I attended Toastmaster meetings online, but I preferred in-person meetings more than online. I made up my mind that Milpitas Toastmaster International Club has a vibrant supporting community where I can learn and share my knowledge and experience. I joined the club in February of 2024. I gave my icebreaker speech on March 25th. I had a fear of public speaking. As a non-native speaker, I had faced challenges in presenting myself in front of a large audience. I am improving myself and sharing my tips and learnings to my fellow Toastmasters. I hope my journey continues forever.
Thankyou for providing this opportunity.
Sree Vidhya
One day, I found a Toastmasters poster near my home. They met every other Saturday, which was perfect for me. I contacted the club and joined in August 2019. I became the Vice President of Education for the term 2020/2021 and the Club President for 2021/2022.
I got involved in member recruitment, coaching members through their progress, checking in on members during the COVID-19 lockdown, organizing the transition from in-person to virtual meetings, and negotiating with the venue administrator to return to in-person meetings. I felt alive every single day, even during lockdown. My manager even commented on the positive change in my attitude at work.
I didn’t join Toastmasters with the goal of becoming a better communicator but rather as a way to heal. Unexpectedly, the benefits I gained from my Toastmasters journey far exceeded my original intention. It doesn’t matter what your initial reasons for joining are because, in a Toastmasters club, you’ll gain much more than you expected.
Junnie Lim
