In a battle to represent NW Campus’ communication skills, 16 students were judged on their content and delivery at this year’s Spring Speech Contest on April 18.
Ava Jenkins, department chair of communications and speech instructor, said what used to be an annual activity for communication students blossomed into a multidisciplinary event held each semester.
“We got so popular doing it in the last four or five years, we now do it in the spring and the fall,” she said. “Our class speeches were so good, we wanted to give additional practice sessions for students to be able to keep improving.”
Its growing popularity among students comes alongside a growing need for experienced communicators in the workplace, Jenkins said.
“There are several organizations that run various studies about how college graduates are doing in their first job in the workplace,” she said. “Communication was by far the biggest deficit. This includes written and verbal communication. 99% of jobs need it, but only about 57% of students are actually competent in it.”
However, Jenkins said the benefits that students take away from participating carry over into their personal development.
“Their confidence soars, and so does their self-esteem and ability to think of themselves in different terms,” she said. “One of the winners last year was very shy and quiet, but she kept building, and she had a different side of her when it came to competing.
So, she won and went on to win district and came back here and decided to be the club president.”
Kathryn Kozak, president of the speech and communications club, said building her public speaking skill set has helped her toward her goal of studying law.
“Public speaking is a skill that helps you round out as a person,” she said. “You use it in almost every aspect of your life, whether it’s just interpersonal communication or for a business proposal, there’s always somewhere public speaking will come in handy.”
Kozak said she encourages anyone to try the club, regardless of skill or experience.
“No matter how terrifying it is, speech is a set of building blocks,” she said. “No matter how horrible the first time may be, every single time you build up more experience and confidence. You just fake it until you make it, and eventually, you actually make it.”
Repeat competitor and NW student Ollie Vassar spoke on autism, a topic he says is close to his heart. He said that by having the opportunity to speak on it, he’s doing his part to educate the public on a topic he feels is often misunderstood.
“It’s important to help people realize what autism is as a disorder,” he said. “There are a lot of misconceptions that autism itself is a singular disorder instead of seeing it as a spectrum.”
Vassar said that while he was initially apprehensive to participate in the competition, his gradual improvement helped him strengthen a soft skill he was struggling with.
“As someone with autism, with communication and social issues, I’ve learned to mitigate it over the years,” he said. “This class helped me build a better communication style with my coworkers, especially being on the autism spectrum.”
NW business student Kelsi Harper took home first place with a presentation on fitness.
According to Harper, her initial interest came from a desire to better herself by tackling a universal fear.
“I’ve always been an outgoing person,” she said. “I’m not afraid to get out of my comfort zone. I thought, ‘I could be really good at this, and I can overcome this fear.’ I thought it could make me a better person and help me in my future endeavors.”
Along with memorizing her presentation’s content, Harper said her engagement with the audience and theatrical talking style helped her come out on top.
“I use my hands a lot, and I was shifting from one side of the board to the other,” she said. “I feel like that shows my passion towards my topic, and that’s huge. I want to show my credibility.”
Despite her preparation, Harper said she still gets anxious before presenting. However, she said that may not be a bad thing entirely.
“When it comes to public speaking, we all get so nervous,” she said. “I get nervous, but at the end of the day, that just means you really care about your audience, and you care about what you’re saying.”
