Giving back ... but gettt so much more

Her name is Rachel she stands at just 5 feet tall
Her name is Rachel she has dirty blood hair that she were pulled back in a bun
Her name is Rachel always were these round oval glasses
Her name is Rachel and she never spoken up She looks down at her feet.
She a very shy 20 year old Lady with 2 kids
she a very little self estem.

Rachel is in jail. Rachel tell me she made bad chocies in her life. She telll me she is the youngest of 5 childern from waltham. One day she confied in me she was the"mistake" child her parents let her know. She said even at her trail she had the oppretinte to speak and said nothing just looked down at her feet.

This is were our paths meet. Monday night at the Framingham Women prizon. I started going to help out with the toastmastes meeting. Rachel like to be timer when i asked her why she said becuse that means i have a job and i dont have to speek alot and most times they wont call me for table topics

One Day i did table topics and called rachel the whole time she spoke at a wisper looking down tugging on her cloths for nevousness .

Rachel gave her frist speech he second speech. Each time i tell her I want to hear you voice i know it in there. I make sure she get called for table topics so she could not hide behind the timmers cards. Over time I seen Rachel find her voice

Rachel did her 8 speech "reashurch your topic" and Intest of looking down at her feet she looked at evey gave eye contact and gave a great speech about review car carmmas / a beeper systm for the rear of a car. Rachel spoke so i could hear her she did not tug her cloths . Rachel now looks at pepole in the eye when they talk to her she tells me becuse of me and toastmaster she gained self convdince in her self somethig she never had before and she thanked me for helping her gain it.

No Rachel thank you for helping me feel i make a diffence. Thats what tostmaster dose in Prison it makes a difference one prisonor at a time. By adding a little bit of self condence better leadership skills , better commaction skills giving chances.

The tostmaster is prison our doing the same work as other toasmaster working though the same books doing the same skills . However this prorgam can not be made possbal with out others help. it take Volnteers to go down and mentor a club. It takes money for manals it take Moeny to pay there dues. Pepole like Rachel are tyig to change there lives on project on speech at a time. Will you please help me to help them to change there lives??

How I got Started

It all started back in 2006. It just started and a new job. Part a my job was going to be open house where I was going to get to tell not only about my school but about toddler program that I created. Only problem of wasn't very good public speaker.

I love this job I was to have every Thursday off. My mother suggested that I should try Toastmasters. In about a year I went from like 10 speechs. I was very proud of those first 10 speechs. I was asked to serve as vice president of public relations for the Raytheon Sudbury club. I was very honored I never expected to be nominated for a leadership role.

The Fall came around I organize and participated in the humorous speech contest. I practiced in practice I asked another member to be my coach. Much to my surprise I won. I competed in my area and won their too. I was on a roll I was sure I could win the next level. However I met Mary Cheney.

That's spring I competed in the international and won again. However this time I did not win my area.

Leadership changed at the Raytheon Sudbury club in the club seem to be failing. No matter what efforts I took. People would stop coming to meet. I kept hearing I'm very busy today. Meaning for often canceled or only three or four people would show. I debated on whether or not to say a member of the club.

I had already become a member of Renaissance my advanced club. I was very fond of Renaissance. But I needed more. I joined the Framingham Natick Toastmasters. My plan was to draw Raytheon Sudbury and replace it with Framingham Natick. I never did draw Raytheon Sudbury because in my mentor. He is an elderly gentleman who used to look forward to his Toastmasters meeting all week long. I knew we had to keep the club open for him. I could not be responsible for letting it die.

Framingham Natick and asked me to serve as their vice president of public relations. The Raytheon Sudbury had asked me to serve as their vice president of public relations. However they asked somebody else we had an election. They didn't tell me that somebody else wanted the job and I was elected. The other number would've been vice president of public relations eventually dropped out.

A new president's took over and infused new energy. A club that was once dying now wa thriving. I watched before my very eyes a club with 12 members from the books, a club officers would not get training go to presidential distinguish. It was amazing to be a part of that team.

That fall anchored the announcement that would change my life a Triple Crown award. I've wanted one of those so I went out and Joined to more clubs. Making mm total five clubs. I'm proud to say I didn't earn the Triple Crown award if it from my shelf to remind me anything is possible if you just dream.

That year I also entered the international speech contest. I bagged a professional speaker named Jacki Rsoe to help me win the international speech contest. I worked very hard on the speech. The first place I competed with Renaissance advanced club. This is what I came for I was competing against Mary Cheney, John Chapin, Susan Toretell Rich Bianch, and many other professional speaker. In being judged by all the members Renaissance.

I went into that competition and you know what happened? Out of six professional speakers I came in third. With very happy with my standings. I was finally accepted by the professionals. I no longer was looked funny and I no longer had to carry the secret of my dyslexia.

However my journey didn't end there. I became friendly with Sherri Rarftery. I got to know where through instant messaging. I shared with her my biggest dream to be an area governor. Sherri said to me consider your dream done. And she made me area B2 Governor for the year 2009 -20010.

Framingham Natick asked me to be their vice president of education. A job that everyone had called the Long work if the hardest job in the world. However it actually plays right into my strog suits organizing learning to delegate encouraging even though or only a month into the new year I love my new job. I love the fact that I'd make a difference. I encourage new members make their icebreakers each with in two meetings. I explained to old members how important it is for a member to get up and give that icebreakers speech.

Along the way I've had some very strong mentor's. People have told me they've looked to me when they're doing things like table topics were just speaking. I've been a mentor before but my mentee was not receptive

she did not want to learn from me. She gave one speech after I mentor to her and she laughed Toastmasters altogether. I looked back at my own mentor room that the experiences. What makes it work if the mentee willing an open to learn from the mentor. I picked mentors wide open and willing to learn from, and that openness allows me to be, better Tostmaster.

So here we are August 2009. I did my my confident communicator five times last year, I did my confident leader twice. I became an advanced leader Bronze and an advance communicator silver. This year the goal is 7-1-10.

I'm working on my high performance leadership Project. I'm going to run a speach craft a mentor a mentoring a member.

With all the gifts I received I feel it's important to give back.that's why every Monday night I try and make it to the Framingham women's prison club. To give back all the gifts I received a mentor them they will have better skills to be able lead a more productive life.