The Fight Against Social Anxiety by Addison

The Fight Against Social Anxiety by Addison - January 2017 Scholarship Essay

From kindergarten until the beginning of sixth grade I did not speak in the classroom unless called upon. While I had friends on the playground and in various sport activities, I much rather preferred to have my head in a book. Some days I would cry before school, begging my parents to let me stay home in order avoid peers who took pleasure in picking on me for reading too much or being a “know-it-all.” Every snide comment drove me further from participating in the classroom, fearing rude comments that might follow. Fortunately, everything changed when I was admitted into Trask Middle School’s three year language arts AIG program.
On the first day of school the AIG teacher, Michael Harper, handed each of his students a one hundred page booklet filled with advanced English, Latin, and French phrases. We were to memorize twenty words each week along with their definitions and origin in order to enhance our vocabulary. I excelled in this category and scored highly on my tests. In the second week he asked us to pick a partner and handed us a rubric titled “The Radio Show.” We were to create a six to eight minute script consisting of nonfiction commercials, news, and any other talking pieces we deemed appropriate to present in front of the class. Simply reading the rubric caused great me anxiety. I considered dropping the class but my parents encouraged me to attempt the project and take it as a challenge. My first reaction was dead but I changed my attitude and decided to step up to the challenge, so with the help of my best friend I performed a shaky radio broadcast.
A week after our first presentations Mr. Harper assigned another public speaking project and once again I had a great deal of anxiety, but less than the time before. Over the next three years I presented over fifty public speaking assignments and participated in several debate tournaments. As time progressed I began to gain confidence I never thought I was capable of having. Personally, I believe anxiety and lack of confidence in children is a dire issue across the country. As an alternative to medicating students with anxiety, they should be provided with interactive solutions such as debate tournaments and public speaking opportunities. I believe Michael Harper’s public speaking program is something that could be beneficial nationwide.
Although I have graduated from the program, I always enjoy returning to volunteer as a judge, moderator, or model for his current students. Many of the students have approached me with the same fears I experienced. I was proud to share my personal experiences, offering advice and support to encourage students to take the challenge.
It is my hope that through my upcoming senior project I can expand Michael Harper’s public speaking program and debate tournaments throughout the county. By proving that exposure to public speaking at a young age boosts student confidence and increases school participation. Trask debate students currently compete solely within Trask Middle School. It is my hope to include other middle schools and grow the program to county-wide debate tournaments with an outlook to high school debates. By exposing students at a young age to public speaking it is my hope to boost confidence as students progress through school, continuing into the higher grades. Learning to speak in front of people at a young age has helped me become the confident, articulate, and motivated woman I am today. I am looking forward to working with Mr. Harper in developing and growing this unique program.