Speech Coach

// the program

As a platform speaking coach at Golden State Academy, I mentored students in crafting and delivering speeches, focusing on structure, clarity, and stage presence. I worked one-on-one to refine arguments, improve delivery techniques like pacing and tone, and build confidence, helping students transform their ideas into compelling, polished performances for competition.

// the monologue

Before every practice, I made my students run through tongue twister drills, “red leather, yellow leather,” “unique New York,” over and over until the room dissolved into laughter. Most of them didn’t take it seriously; it felt more like a warm up game than real prep, and I’d get plenty of eye rolls when I insisted we do it again. A few weeks later, right before a competition round, I heard the same phrases echoing in the hallway. A group of them stood in a circle, running the drills on their own, faster this time, sharper. When they walked into the room, their words came out cleaner, more controlled, each sentence landing without the usual stumbles. Afterward, one of them laughed and said, “Okay, that actually worked.”

// program notes

• ✦Learn how to tailor your speeches to your respective audience
• ✦Bad writing can be covered up with good speaking skills but not the other way around.
• ✦Do not use AI for research and writing a speech. It will fail you.