Cornell & Brown Depart
8 years ago
Monday, June 30, 2008
Video: What a Day! by Alvin
After I presented my powerpoint presentation, I felt relieved of all stress. My presentation was not the best but I gained a great deal of communication skills by presenting. I was nervous during the first few minutes of my presentation, but I slowly claim down and felt as if no one was watching me. It was my first time doing a presentation in front of a large crowd (90 people), so I know that this experience is valuable and could be carry on with me to college. Since my group, was the 2nd to present, I got a chance to listen to the other 18 groups do their presentations. The 18 other groups presented as if they were professionals. They were clam and had great posture throughout the presentation. At that point I realized that college wasn't a joke and everyone in the class had experience in public speaking. Their presentations add to my knowledge of pubic speaking.
I have a quiz tomorrow about today presentations so it is time for me to get sleep.
Alvin Yee
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2 comments:
The best thing is that you learn through experience. When you return to El Cerrito High School in the fall you will have a better idea of what excellence looks like. I want you to fully appreciate the privilege that you have had to learn with the best.
Most of our students in the West Contra Costa Unified School District will never have a chance to be around this type of environment. You need to have a conversation with your friends and colleagues and inform them that College is serious and that they will be left behind if they fail to prepare and take academics seriously.
This is a great lesson and I am glad that you were able to complete the presentation. Abby Ellers, Cornell Program Director, felt you did well and that you knew the material. The one area that she mentioned to you that needed to be improved was your CONFIDENCE. This is something that all of our students must master. You are all wonderful and have a bright future ahead of you, but you and others must feel good about yourself and give your best impression. Remember life is about believing in oneself and trying to exude confidence.
So yes you have come out of the Lions Den and now you have a chance to improve because you have done better than you have expected. I want you to speak to other students and share with them your fears and ask them why they come across so professional. Ask them what they did to overcome their nerves. I also want you to speak before the Richmond City Council when you get back and show them how much you have learned and how you are now a more confident and capable student.
Thanks Alvin for being so open and sharing your hopes and desires. Remember you have dinner with Renatta McCarthy your professor tomorrow night and I want to learn how it goes and what she has to share with you. We all know that you are in the most rigorous class, however, we know that you will get the most out of it.
Keep up the good work and let us know how the boat cruise goes on Friday.
Charles T. Ramsey
School Board Member
West Contra Costa
Unified School District
Speaking in public, Alvin, is liking learning how to write well: the more you do it, the better you're going to get at it.
One of the reasons we have these dinners putting the Ivy League kids with teachers and sponsors is to force you to spend time with people outside of your comfort zone.
It doesn't matter who that adult is that you're dining with, they're just another person just like you so there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to talk with them.
What these adults have over you is experience in life. You need to buddy up with them even if it's just over a meal so some of that experience will rub off.
If you want to remain the shy guy standing off to the side, you can do that but don't expect to be all that successful in what you do. You need to get out there--talk to people and engage them in discussions. Do it while you're back east but continue to do it when you get back home.
When you're riding that plane to come home, you can spend the time talking to the seat mate on one side of you that you've spent the past three weeks with or you can talk to the stranger on the other side and share with them who and what you are.
If you don't know your subject matter it's going to be tough coming across with any confidence but even if you know your stuff, a lack of experience in speaking to crowds will hurt you every time.
Get that experience, Alvin. Fail in your initial efforts if you have to to but I guarantee you that every time you get up and speak it's going to get easier. With time, you're going to be able to stand in front of a multitude of strangers and speak as if they were all your best friends.
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