At the 4th Annual Women’s Leadership Summit, I found my voice. Since high school, public speaking was a challenge for me. My classmates praised my steady voice and clear word choice, but all I could think about was how I could not overcome my anxiety. The nervous shaking and breathing, sweaty palms and red-cheeked face. I couldn’t beat it, but at the beginning of the summit, our host invited us to decide on an intention for the day. Mine was “I hope to accomplish having a peace of mind and focusing only on the positives”. When she asked us to share aloud our intention, I raised my hand and was selected. I didn’t know they would pass me a microphone, so I took a deep breath and in front of an entire ballroom of people, I spoke my intention firmly and clearly. Everyone was floored by my strong voice, and the ballroom stayed silent for a moment. Even our host expressed her admiration for my voice and ensure I use a microphone to repeat my intention. Two FIU employees, a professor and staff member, went up to me individually and praised me for the impression I made on them: A confident young woman. The professor even said she was glad to see me in her breakout session later that day, as she had hoped I would attend her session after hearing me speak to the ballroom.

I will always be grateful for the learning lessons I received from women of all walks of life: professors, business owners, academic institution leaders, and fellow students. The impact of being surrounded by a ballroom filled with high-achieving women gave me the inner strength to shake off my nerves and speak freely. Now when I speak in front of people, whether a small-scale or large-scale audience, I often remember the day I found my voice.