As previously established in last week's blog entry, we had new speeches to present, which portrayed our original work, as well as the research we have done over the past semester and a half. As I said in the blog entry, I was quite nervous about it. For the two days prior, I was frequently rehearsing the speech with my notecards, timing how long it took me and analyzing my volume and mannerisms. The day had finally come, and I actually felt quite prepared for it. As I spoke, I took deep breaths and spoke clearly and with conviction, all at a steady pace. As a whole I felt very confident, both during and after the speech itself. As I thought about it afterward, I was incredibly happy with my progress from the first and second speeches. This time, my ideas were clearly communicated, my pace stayed constant, and I remained in control. All in all, it was not the speech itself that made me happy, but the growth that I experienced. Perhaps that is what ISM is all about; not the career, or the mentor, or the research, but the growth that we all experience as professional young men and women.
- grantwmarshall