Climbing Up a Steep Edge

Week of 12/7 - 12/13

To say this week was very hard would be a huge understatement. I experienced many ups and downs throughout the week, especially throughout my ISM (Independent Study and Mentorship) journey. This week, we had been assigned the longest speech we have had to give in ISM yet. I looked at the time frame for the speech and read that it needed to be "8-10 minutes". Already, I felt so challenged just by that one statement because I could not stop asking myself, "How am I going to talk about my topic for 8 minutes?". Nevertheless, I got to work and spent several days and nights crafting my speech and presentation. My biggest fear was memorizing what I was going to say because I wasn't used to giving such a long speech. Up until now, ISM speeches and presentations have usually been short and not that big of a concern for me. Soon the day arrived where I had to give my speech. I was more than nervous to give this speech because this was much longer than usual. I finished my speech successfully with very few errors however, I had a lot to reflect on. First, I felt like I should have made my presentation way more visually appealing to go along with my speech and stick to a certain theme. Second, I should have used a hook that can directly connect with my audience instead of just talking about myself. Lastly, making my conclusion transition smoother in my speech although it was a good finisher to my speech. I took these things into mind while I was doing my self-evaluation and now know what to expect of myself. Speeches in ISM will only get longer and I must be ready for what is to come and the only way I can do that is by learning from my experiences and how to get better.

Besides speeches, I also had to write up an original work proposal for my topic to present at our final showcase in May. I scheduled a meeting with my mentor on Friday and together we discussed some ideas I could do for an Original Work. Since my topic is entrepreneurship, I decided to do a pitch for the startup I am working at in Incubatoredu. This is the perfect way to demonstrate my skills in entrepreneurship and reflect on what I learned throughout my journey.

This week was one of the toughest weeks so far on my journey and I know there is worse to come. I will make sure to learn all that I have from my past experiences and apply them to better myself whether that be in ISM, my entrepreneurial journey, or my life in general. I would say that I am quite proud of myself for pushing through this challenging week and making the nest of it instead of giving up. This next week concludes the first semester of ISM, meaning the next semester will only get harder from here on out and it is in my best interest to get through the tough times and learn as much as I can.