11

I think Gandhi was the embodiment of change and optimism. I think he was a venerable figure that truly set the example of how peaceful change and motivation can create much change in not only our communities but in the whole world.

“I look only to the good qualities of men. Not being faultless myself, I won’t presume to probe into the faults of other.-Gandhi” I would say this is something that I need to improve on the most with my intrapersonal relationships. Because of past incidents I have grown somewhat reluctant to trust those who should be trusted. Getting rid of assumptions is the best thing you can get rid of the retched word “normal”. This idea of “normal” causes ridiculous disagreements and demonizes others that are different. “I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.-Gandhi” Tolerance and acceptance are key things to have in being a servant leader because it unties people instead of separating them. Society needs to focus not on what our differences are but what our similarities are. This way we will be capable of attacking and resolving the injustices in society or the abuse that is presented to people in general.

My favorite quote of Gandhi is “an ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching”. The importance of action is crucial to meeting goals either on a local or international level. The main problem that people have with getting involved is that they only analyze the risk associated with it. Phrases like “I mean can you do, right?” or “What will happen?” impede the protesting process. The freedom to peaceful protest is an undeniable human right. The only way that your attitudes towards something wrong or immoral will change is if you do something about them. Often your words alone can often be a cry on deaf ears. Actions speak louder than words and getting involved with other people in action creates a sonic boom. I want to help low and middle income students reach their goals and become successful people who are motivated and make something of their life. I love to help students realize the potential they have and what resources are available to them for their academic and personal success.

The optimist creed is a great way to motivate and encourage involvement that will cause success. Optimism is the thing that lead me to college, to think clearly about my decisions. The promise “ to give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others” is something I like to do on a regular basis. In high school, this was not the case where petty personal things impeded the focus of school at times. This year I’ve learned to focus on myself and see what I can do to help others without criticism.

This summer I hope to be part of the City Youth Commission for Mikva Challenge. Mikva Challenge allows students to get involved in government and politics. The City Youth Commission is a year round program that involves student in the policy making process and allows input from youth in city hall in Chicago.

I motivate other by listening to their story and telling them, “you know what these are the types of things you will see and if you do this and apply yourself, you can obtain your goal”.

#10

In 18 Truths to Start Telling Yourself, the phrases that relate to me the most are “Everything, good or bad, is a life lesson” and “A few REAL friends are all I need”.

Throughout my life I’ve learned that fearing pain, sorrow and circumstance will get you nowhere. At some point in high school I realized that I was only focusing on academics and I hadn’t experienced enough of anything; neither the good nor the bad. You can’t have the good without the bad and vice versa. I feel that sometimes we associate a good life with solely “happiness” and only good times; however, true happiness is stability and the ability to overcome disdainful periods in life and to “whistle while you work”.

Genuine and intimate friendship is one of the most helpful and rewarding things in life. True friends are not just people that accompany you and make you laugh they are people who will stand by you in a pinch. No amount of gold, riches or luxuries will ever replace them. “With time…you realize that true friends are worth way more than any amount of money”-Jorge Luis Borges.

I believe that, especially as I continue my college career, taking chances is something that I intend to do more of. Fear is just a feeling it is not reality, it is an impediment. If a bad decision is made, the next one will be better and new opportunities will reveal themselves.

One of the most important things for me is to be myself, my own person. Everyone should try to find themselves and act as they want as opposed to act as others want them to. Now that I’m in college I keep finding things that I differ with people on so many levels. I don’t like to categorize myself because the closest thing to labeling me is Armando Villanueva. No one should mandate how I should be.

The STARS LEAD video project is coming along well. So far we have recorded our individual introductory clips.  My leadership as a result of STARS LEAD has been impassioned. I have learned much about what a truly helpful leader must do and the qualities he/she must have. STARS LEAD; however, needs to have volunteer time with schools and reach out for neighborhood schools like Sullivan, right near Loyola, that are of dire need. We are not involved enough and reflection is great but there’s not enough action and motivation going on which is the purpose of being a leader. I know there are many student out there that need to know where they are going for college and what they want to do with their lives.

#9

Excusing are an illusion and pessimistic reaction when dealing with important life decisions. To not become and “excuse maker” I try to be realistic with myself then think of a better way to plan and accomplish my goal(s). Even though it’s hard, I admit my mistakes, accept my failure, and find a way to succeed. Blaming someone or making excuses just impedes the process of improvement and it just wastes energy. In order to help others rise above excuse making, it is important to level with them and tell them that you have been through the same thing or that people make mistakes and that complaining doesn’t get you anywhere.

Being an ally in a community is asking and listening about the struggles people have. Being a servant leader means to find out the problem and do the most in your power to fix or contribute a problem. If someone is communicating something to you, you have to listen because the person speaking can be saying something important.

In STARS LEAD, it’s important to hold your biases and opinions and listen to different perspectives. Just because I have experienced something doesn’t mean someone else has experienced the same thing. So I think knowing where people come from is an important tool when talking to my fellow leaders.

I believe that I am very open to new ideas and opinions because everyone thinks differently and being stubborn annoys people during discussions. I like to think deeply and incorporate different viewpoints to comparatively express mine. I do believe that I need to be more confident and calm because I love to express my opinion, sometimes eagerly, but if I don’t feel confident in my speech then I can’t collect my thoughts properly.

Being an ally requires that your ally feel trusted and important. Often we say one thing and do another. An ally isn’t just about getting ahead through their assistance but also assisting them to get ahead as well.

Scholarship Junkies is a great way for students to learn about their resources for attending college. Scholarships are the main reason students are able to pay for their tuition and board and not end up in a large debt later on. In order to enhance scholarship applications, students should put their personality into the essay. Always relating a certain topic to your experience and knowledge is key. Also giving a description of yourself doesn’t suffice, you have to demonstrate it. If you are on a first date and you say, “I’m an extremely funny person”, you’re date will probably be freaked out and not believe you. However, if you crack a joke or tell a humorous anecdote, then he/she will know you’re a funny person.

With this information we can let student know that college isn’t impossible and that many people have done it; many other with very small amounts of debt. Scholarships give students of lower and middle income families a boast to compete with their more privileged peers. This has the potential to create educational equality among students of all income, ethnicities, religions, and backgrounds. 

#8

What surprised me about the film “Waiting for Superman” was the fact that the very institutions whose intended purpose is to support and improve that education system actually complicate it. It is ridiculous how these institutions create different standards or expectations that don’t unite the education system, rather is separates it on a local level. So if a student comes from a school that belongs to a low income neighborhood the academic expectations are low, while in an adjacent neighborhood they are higher. Basically, if one goes to the wrong school, they get a low quality education because the school is self-administering. The students at the US have unequal learning.

If Superman where to “rescue” these students he would have to change policy and the funding of all public schools in the US. The US education system is in a cycle of inequality; if a school does not meet standards then its funding goes down so the school would have to be unnecessarily strict with students which make them attend less. The student might have been better behaved and academically stable if the resources were available to them in the first place, but their resources depend on attendance and test scores. In order to help these children we must get involved in their lives, not just academically but also personally. We must encourage their involvement and continuation of learning. Parents can get involved by attending PTA or PTSA meetings and if they can’t because of work the school must come up with a way to find a student to aid their continuing education.

The things in “12 Lies to Stop Telling Yourself” are true and definitely apply to me. I do find myself saying things like “I can’t do it” or “I will fail”. I wish to think more calmly and just concentrate completely. When I do something strenuous with a time I just think that I won’t do a good job or this isn’t going to turn out right, but when I start doing what I have to do I accomplish it. I want to stop regretting and start learning from my mistakes and never seeing a dark future. I think that believing in one’s abilities is the fundamental way to accomplish things. Anyone can accomplish something if they put their mind and soul into it. The way I can inspire student is to relate my experiences to their and tell them that I went through things as well and that I still managed to get to college and learn. The words “difficult” and “easy” are words that should be taken out of one’s thoughts in order to do and finish. It is just a matter of doing. It’s like bungee jumping, you’re scared to jump off but when you do it’s amazing.

In order to help students with various socioeconomic statuses I believe that it is important just to emphasize the importance of education and that it is doable. I also believe that exposing them to different opportunities and resources that they might not otherwise get at their school or neighborhood is greatly beneficial to their academic life and graduation.

It is important to vote because it allows the created good for the people. If people don’t voice their opinions and tell others in power what they want then these vary powers will give them something random that they believe is right, even if it is quite the contrary. 

#7

The meeting on Thursday was a good opportunity for me to realize who I am and where I come from as well as what a stand for. It was a good exercise as well to remind me that I am a leader, and my whole involvement in co-curriculars are to be a leader and change things for the better. It was also to give a short comment to my fellow STARS peer.

I believe that sometimes what people say about you can affect how you feel; however, you choose whether you care. There is a fine line between bluntness and insult. I honestly believe that a person you hardly know affect your attitude towards yourself. People you trust, family, close friends, significant others, are people from whom you should take advice from, even so it is you who chooses whether or not to follow or listen to them. To a very significant extent your choices, your intentions, and your attitudes shape your happiness. Furthermore, being goal-oriented is very good; however, don’t obsess over your goals to the extent that you don’t enjoy your life.

My goal is to pursue a business career, mainly in economics and become involvement thoroughly in politics and fighting marginalization. Perhaps, if I am successful enough I would like to become a business philanthropist to help underrepresented groups in metropolitan cities. My biggest challenge with these goals would be getting the various certifications and employment necessary for the realization of my dreams. Personally, I try to seek happiness through contemplation and just taking a break from the busy life. I try not to be materialistic because material objects don’t give you happiness in the long run. Spending time with friends and family is one of the ways I unwind and just let my emotions out. The rest of the semester I will continue to invest in myself in order to have a balanced and efficient life. What I intend to change this semester is to pay attention to my body’s needs such as sleep and exercise.

I originally planned to study most of my spring break, but I ended up just exploring the city and sleeping. Fortunately, I wasn’t behind on any of my readings or projects. The summer I will be taking two summer courses at Truman in order to transfer more credits over to UIC. I am a bit sad to not be attend Loyola next semester because I’ve made so many friendships but I am looking forward to making new ones at UIC this coming fall.

#6

After reading the article, “Why we find it hard to meditate”, I was not surprised by the things that were said about why people don’t meditate. Until recently, I found it very hard to meditate, but now that I found a method that relaxes me and helps me overcome troublesome thoughts. The one thing that I hear frequently, as the article points out, is “oh I don’t have to time to exercise or meditate”. I believe people do that in a self-destructive way; meaning that they make a mountain out of a molehill, there are 24 hours in a day you spend at the very least 14 of them awake. Ten minutes to meditate is a very small chunk of time that time. It’s like taking a shower: it’s relaxing, refreshing, and necessary and takes 10-30 minutes of your time. I personally like to use guided meditation (using an app on my phone), as if it were a coach that helps me clear my mind and sharpen my awareness. It helps with studying and focusing on important tasks.

My guide tells me the following. It tells me to sit in a firm chair and close my eyes, become aware of your breathe without altering it, then drawing attention to the body, how the floor feels, if your hands are clenched, how the clothes on your back feel; I loosen my body then I tense all the muscles in the body and relax them and I repeat once. I roll my shoulder back slowly and then forward slowly, then I move my head bring, moving my right ear to the right sholder and the left to the left shoulder. I am instructed to become aware of the sounds of my environment, without analyzing them. I then countdown my breaths as if the air were coming from each nostril alternatively, but without changing my breathe at all like this, “in right 25, out left 24, in left 23, out right 22”. I then maintain my stillness and breathe for a few more second and bring my attention to the body again. Afterwards, I bring my awareness to the environment. Finally, I reawaken the body by stretching slowly (eyes closed) and wiggling my fingers and toes, then I end by opening my eyes. This guided meditation only takes me about 7 minutes.

This pendulum of life is quite accurate. The way I interpret this, with regards to success, is with “no pain no gain.” Without the struggles, the bad times of life, there wouldn’t be good times. These cycles of life are essential because they present us with new obstacles that we overcome and get strengthened by. Often I experience struggles that made me realize things about my life. For me, high school was quite a struggle, especially emotionally, because my self-esteem issues and the desire to learn more without the problems high school had. Eventually, I graduated and now I am attending college and have made many friendships and have developed myself, spiritually, mentally and socially.

In life, I try to maintain balance by makings sure my priorities are established and that I focus on the task at hand. Work and school are the most important things to focus on because they are necessary for obtaining a career; however, engaging in fun and interesting activities, throughout life, alleviates the stress of the “Real World’s” demands. I’ve learned this semester that one must take care of his/her self before they can excel and help others. This semester intend to emphasize that a little more because letting go and goofing off helps you cope with a demanding tasks. Through my life, I desire to never stop dreaming and to look positively.

“You learn that time isn’t something you can turn back, therefore you must plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers” -William Shakespeare.

I believe the quote above is similar to that of Dubois. We can’t keep waiting for tomorrow to give us happiness, instead we must cope with and enjoy every living second of our lives because each of us only has one that will eventually end. I think people should have goals and ambitions, but sometimes it’s good to live life and enjoy the time you have and make the best of bad situations. To make things better you can’t expect it to become better with time, you must make it better through time, otherwise you will watch your life pass you by idly. I like to think about the things I have to do in the near future or the present and the rest I write for a reminder because if you keep worry about things that will not happen for a while and you keep heightening your expectations of the future without thinking about the present, you will be disappointed in the end.

#5 Education in Chicago Public Schools (CPS)

17% of 8th graders in CPS read proficiently, 15% of 8th graders in CPS do math proficiently. I will never accept this lack of educational structure that has afflicted so many students in Chicago's various communities. The video "Explaining the Inequalities in Education in Chicago" brought back memories of when I was in 8th grade with an amazing teacher that actually cared about our well being and academic performance. During eighth grade we were granted extended school hours, exclusively for us, so that our graduating class would raise our standards and succeed in high school.

My teacher sacrificed her time in order to ensure that we would do well in our PLAN exams. Because of her maternal and authoritative yet supportive attitude towards us we were all able to graduate and go on to attend high school. In a public elementary school in CPS that was and still is on probation after steadily declining test scores and academic performance, we were still able to maintain hope. All of us have pursued optimistic and ambitious goals and stayed out of trouble. Unfortunately, as the video says, many students are not given sufficient attention because teachers have to deal with so much and are overworked and underpaid. Clearly, politicians in Chicago have hardly address issues such as these and instead, as Rahm Emmanuel intends, fund Charter schools.

The poem,"Louder Than a Bomb: High School Training Ground" written by Malcolm X. London, truly exposes the reality and failures of Chicago's public education system. London obviously recognizes the various unjustifiable issues in CPS. There were a few lines that stood out to me in his poem. "...I open the doors to a building dedicated to building, yet only breaks me down." I feel that CPS like other inner-city public schools does not empower students to pursue academic goals, instead it impedes them. Sometimes school to students is just,"my parents are making me" or "this is bull I just want to get out and get enough points to pass." Speaking from experience, high school is hard but high school in CPS is harder. CPS school are not the best suited environment for motivating students. Austerity only goes so far to control students and to a certain point causes retaliation.

Although I have faced challenges and seen other sadly go into oblivion because of their disconnection with academics, I still managed to graduate and attend college. My biggest motivators are my parents and in a way the community. Even though CPS has its various faults, one thing that I admire about it is that they require service learning hours in which students are involved with the community. Doing venerable deeds in communities that you care about helps students create self-esteem and a sense of responsibly, social and academically. In the video "How Bad Do You Want It (Success)", the speakers illustrates that success must be as important as the air you breathe. It should be your number one priority in life. It is this type of resolve that pushes us to exceed standards in school.

If policies were harmonious with Chicago and education, instead of harmful, so many obstacles of the city like gentrification and segregation would gradually improve. People with educations tend to have better futures and have more opportunities to lead better lives. Chicago is such a large mesh of cultures and backgrounds, but they are oppressed. "My high school is Chicago; diverse and segregated." London brings up a good point that in the education system, children are left behind, while other continue to do better with disregard of those who struggle in class. This division between honors and regulars does create some resentment in reaction to inferiority. Public school system such as Chicago's enters a vicious cycle where students are suspended because they behave badly, which makes them become less motivated in school, because schools want to weed out these students to get more funding, but leaves students with bad grades. In turn, these "bad" students become criminals because they are ostracized and neglected which makes them lose touch with opportunities that could have been a result of a high school diploma.
 
Working with Amundsen High School is a great opportunity for us college students to motivate students to get that diploma and attend college with a changing world. I knew students who attended Amundsen and they have experienced similar challenges the Von Steuben has also faced. I hope to make an impact on these students to let them know that with all the social, economic, and cultural impediments in the city and its education system, graduating is very doable and obtainable.

#4 Education Inequalities

As part of CPS (Chicago Public School) I have witnessed some of the "School-To-Prison Pipeline" of many students. The zero-tolerance policy had been implemented in my school, thus causing the suspensions and expulsions of many of my fellow students. It makes no sense to expel a student because he has broken a rule or violated a code of student conduct. Expulsion and suspension only discourage students to stay in school and sometimes creates a spiteful relationship between the school and the student who has been "disciplined". Suspension is like a break from school. Many students are unmotivated to do well and suspension and expulsion reinforces this lack of motivation. What administrators fail to see is that these students are troubled and need to be helped and rehabilitated. This "discipline" marks a student as destined to fail and perhaps go into the juvenile justice system.
These disciplinary actions have gotten stricter as time goes on. For example, at my high school, if you were caught using your cell phone and the administration were to find out about it, they would give you detention and expel you for three days. Many students have been suspended, expelled or even arrested on the basis of many offenses.
In my junior year of high school, I joined Peer Jury at the police precinct. Our goal was to rehabilitate students with criminal records or who have violated student conduct and prevent them from entering the juvenile system. As peer jurors we would assign students sentences that would get them involved the community and would help them control their emotions. They would be given community service hours to complete as well as session with anger management mentors. Programs like these should be implemented in schools to prevent students from becoming delinquents.
The video Black Males, Black Dreams made me realize that the education system is even worse than I realized. The fact that the government is more inclined to throw troubled youth into the juvenile system, and eventually prison, than to fund education for these youth. A neighborhood in New York City, with a predominantly African-American population, funds $42,000, in taxpayer money, per inmate in jail and funds $9,000 per student in school . Legislation does not put enough emphasis on the importance of education.As a graduated CPS student who attends college, I don't feel as prepared as suburbans schools who have adequate funding for the success of academics. Additionally, to add the the pressure, the mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emmanuel, has cut funds for CPS and is investing in Charter School. These charter schools supposedly  perform better than public school; however, although not well funded, the top-performing schools are public and they include schools like Lane Tech and Northside who have average ACT scores of 28. Furthermore, Charter School are not entirely publicly funded so there rights and benefits of instructors are at risks because they don't recognize unions and do not ensure employment. Meanwhile, in CPS instructors with tenure lost their positions and were labelled, DNH (do not hire), throughout all public schools. The apathy of city and federal government officials is definitely felt in the public school system.
I intend to notify students, faculty, and guardians about these shifts in budgeting and firings. I intend to be an resource to students to allow them to graduate on time and attend college. Especially with neighborhood schools that are the main funnels for School-To-Prison Pipelines. These schools have the worst academic reputations and lack essential resources for students, many don't even get their high school diploma.
With the Empowerment Pipeline I want to listen carefully to students' situations in order to cater to their needs and wants. Hopefully, through this project I can improve in my communications skill to motivate students while building their confidence and my hope in them.
Hosting students from Tilden High School is a great opportunity for these students to get a feel for the expectations of college. I'm glad to have the chance to help inner-city youth think about college and further their education to have career and successful futures. I hope they grow from my advice and suggestions, especially since I have gone through CPS.

#3

 “What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do.” – John Ruskin

            The reason they are called social movements is because they involve action. I’ve noticed that when you tell a person something or give that person advice and might hear what you say; however, that doesn’t mean he/she will remember or even listen to what you have to say. Conversely, doing something sets an example that people follow and these actions can give out a message about the kind of person someone is. For example, if you’re on a date with someone, would they believe that you are humorous person if you just say, “I’m really funny”? No, you show your date that you are funny by cracking a joke or telling a story. Being an exemplary person is an important in leadership because it not only motivates people to do things, but also shows them how to do them.

            Social justice is striving and achieving the rights of human rights which mean treating people of all social classes, races, creeds, ages, genders, sexual orientations etc. with the same respect in the eyes of society and the eyes of the law. It seeks the end or elimination of oppression. People who lead others in social justice must serve them. This service assumes the responsibility of gaining equality for an oppressed group of people. I believe servant leadership is leadership in its purest form because it includes the voice and opinions of others and usually results in something everyone is satisfied with. Telling peoples what to do without consulting them or asking them what they want is an authoritarian role such as a boss or, further than that, a dictator.

            When I lead I try to incorporate people’s opinions and suggestions as much as possible. In high school I was president of a youth group at the YMCA that helped fulfill the service learning requirements of high school student. Often I would listen to what ideas they had for things such as fundraisers, and community service. In the end, each of our projects turned out to be quite enjoyable.

            Although I am confident in ability to listen and include, I do believe that I have to improve in my skills as a servant leader. I believe that obtain the ability to anticipate when it comes to certain situations and also to see what future consequences can emerge.

            My dream job is to be a politician or start a lucrative foundation for education. This notion of the future is very terrifying. Come from Chicago, I was part of CPS (Chicago Public Schools), which has many budgeting problems and lack of resources that give graduating students a competitive edge in college. Additionally, many students, about 50%, don’t obtain their high school diploma. With my foundation, I would fund all schools in need to ensure that all students obtain their High School diploma.

Occupy Wall Street Protests

#2

"Men make history and not he other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better" -Harry S. Truman

            To me this, this quote explains leadership at its best. To me good or effective leadership should not be authoritarian, but opportunistic and provocative. I try to live these words every day, often I would run into situations where people around me would not stand up and object or at least volunteer to speak. I continually try to do my best at saying something or doing something that other people don’t have the bravery or nerve to do. I often want to take up responsibilities because if no one else takes them up, then they won’t be addressed and handled.

            In the E-Portfolio presentation, I learned how to engage employers in an interactive profile that could possibly give me a bust in the hiring process. It’s not just about a resume, E-Portfolio is about seeing and demonstrating what is on the resume as well as going into detail with each of those things listed in the resume and some that aren’t included in the resume. The E-Portfolio allows employers to see you as an individual with unique and helpful attributes other than a piece of paper with a list of skills on it.

            The experiences I would like to highlight in my E-Portfolio are my involvement with the YMCA, being the president of the Teen Leaders Club. I would also like to include my internship with the Alderman of Chicago’s 49^th Ward (Rogers Park), where I became a beneficial part of the community and became acquainted with the office setting.

            A leader must serve others because it is simply their duty. Leadership with good intentions implies taking responsibility for something crucial or effectual. Leaders are the people who know more about management and productivity than those who he/she serves. Sometimes leaders also know more about some things than the ones he/she serves and must guide other for improvement.

            I am passionate about access to a quality education for people of all income levels, ethnicities, and faiths. In our society, there still exists a worsening apartheid that doesn’t allow certain groups of people get a quality education. Students from low income families, mainly students of color, are not able to graduate high school and most never graduate from college, if they were to attend one. Additionally, job creation and opportunities for people of all educations levels, ages and ethnicities must be addressed because they are being depleted. Living in Rogers Park I have always been involved with people of various backgrounds and income levels. I feel that I can make a difference in helping these social groups overcome obstacles.

#1

What interests me about the lead program is the understanding of what it is to be a leader and how to demonstrate qualities that a leader must have. It interests me who this program engages first year college students and makes become part of something that allows them to get involved early in their college career. One of the most important things I want to accomplish in college is to make a greater impact on the community, especially with youth who are underprivileged, lack resources and are not sufficiently educated.  With STARS LEAD I hope to understand better the qualities, not just of a leader, but of an effective and proactive leader who can meet his goals and create change with justice.

          The first STARS Leaders meeting was enlightening and interestingly entertaining. At the start of the meeting were asked, like at the start of any program or class in college, to introduce ourselves, say where we were from, and what each of our majors were; however, this for this introduction, we were asked to show three things that we had with us and say how they represent ourselves. Of course we all had personal and sentimental value pertaining to the objects we held, but at the end our director pointed out that neither of us had mentioned the word “leadership” or “leader” in our personal descriptions.

          I define leadership as not just telling people what to do, but  also how to motivate other to act and have the courage to act when other choose not to. Leadership helps those who need a boost or guidance in order to develop more rational minds. This semester I desire to change and motivate other to get involved; to not just say things they want to see change but to go out and change it. In order to do this, I wish to find a greater confidence in myself and develop more effective, provocative and engaging public speaking skills.