After a long, tiring week of finals and ceremonies, followed by two graduations (both Macaulay Honors and Queens College), my undergraduate career culminated with the presentation of a valedictorian speech for the CUNY Pipeline Program… Although it was a lot less scary than what Sharon had to go through, speaking in front of over ten thousand people at Commencement, it was definitely one of the most frightening experiences of my four years as an undergrad. I had to sit on stage with the keynote speaker, Dr. Michelle Nearon, the Assistant Dean and Director of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Yale University, and Dr. William Kelly, the President of the CUNY Graduate Center, making awkward conversation with them while trying to calm my nerves.

Throughout the Recognition Ceremony I looked down at the other Pipeline Fellows enviously, regretting my decision to accept this “honorable” position, trying to quell the butterflies in my stomach as my turn to speak approached. But even though my hands and legs were shaking the whole time I was delivering my speech, I am glad that I went through with it. Giving this presentation showed me how much I have grown from being a shy, quiet, and, to be totally honest, antisocial person, into one who can perform a speech in front of an assembly of parents, relatives, friends, administrators and professors. I am especially thankful for all those people who approached me afterwards and told me how much they enjoyed my speech. One person even said that it was “Simply perfect,” which is not true at all, but made me feel great anyway.

Public speaking has been one of my greatest personal challenges and giving this presentation allowed me to feel an incredible sense of accomplishment (and of course relief when it was over). So, my cheesey advice to all of you is not to reject opportunities and chances even though they may appear frightening at first. Now that I have overcome this obstacle, I feel that I am slightly more prepared for my future career in teaching at the collegiate level, which has always scared me  A LOT. The fear isn’t completely gone, but knowing that I have presented a speech in front of hundreds of people makes teaching a class of thirty students feel a little bit easier.