Suzy Prentiss | Everyone Has a Story to Share

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My Journey to #AchieveMore

Every day I am driven to help my students with high speech anxiety achieve more than they ever thought possible. Though fully capable, many are terrified of giving presentations and taking any type of public speaking classes. They fear failure, the unknown, being in the spotlight, and their own physical and emotional reactions to these stressful situations. They think they are the only ones with such challenges when, in fact, most of us struggle with some level of speech anxiety at some time. I am committed to helping my students feel more capable and confident for I know these three truths about story: stories are powerful, stories are empowering and each of us has a story to share. As a professional with over twenty years of experience teaching communication classes, I am motivated each day by the wonder of my students and their stories. Whether it is the Honors student who does not understand why she cannot deliver a presentation without being overwhelmed with nervousness, the student-veteran who does not like being in the spotlight, or the student with social anxiety fearing engaging in a team activity, each of these students has a challenge to face, a contribute to make and a story to share. My job is to create a safe and supportive space where we address speech anxiety and the tools and techniques needed to effectively manage it. During our time together, students report speaking up more in other classes, becoming more involved on campus and applying for new opportunities, such as leadership positions and internships. Dreams that once seemed out of reach due to speech anxiety now become possible. While confidence is developed and opportunities are created, my students achieve more than they ever thought they could and share their success stories. This is why I teach!

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