1. The Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., President of the University of Notre Dame, said in his Inaugural Address that, "If we are afraid to be different from the world, how can we make a difference in the world?" In what way do you feel you are different from your peers, and how will this shape your contribution to the Notre Dame community?
Talents come in all shapes and sizes. What truly makes a person unique is the interaction of these talents and his environment that result in a distinct personality, which can add value to an institution in their own manner. In my case, numerous factors worked hand in hand to make me different from the rest. I was born in India and lived there for 8years and then moved to Indonesia, Jakarta, where I studied in an International School and this was followed by our migration to Singapore. Such circumstances gave me much exposure and also made me a adaptable person. However, the most distinct gift it endowed me with was that of confidence. Hence I utilized this confidence to develop it into more substantial talent of public speaking. I have always tried to develop this talent since I'm aware that public speaking is a life long skill that can serve me well in the business world. The high level of social interaction demands a convincing and yet a confident speaker who will be able to present his or her firm impressively to their client. Hence to begin my development as a speaker, I joined the debating club and participated in few competitions and also won the championship for the community club debate. As I moved on to my, 11th and 12th grade, I was offered to join the gavel club which is affiliated to the international toastmasters' club. It trained me in speeches, interviews and especially impromptu speaking. Moreover, it also provided numerous opportunities for me to gain experience such as by hosting school events and giving public talks.
I feel that this experience of public speaking rather than mere technical debating would allow me to contribute to Notre Dame in various ways. To begin with, I would like to set-up a speech club. This club would be affiliated to the international toastmasters and hence help to broaden the scope of public speaking opportunities available at Notre Dame. Moreover, such a club would help to spur new areas where public speaking forms a key basis such as Mock United Nations conferences. Additionally, public speaking gives me the confidence to be able to serve the Notre Dame community well. An example would be when I gave talks to in high school to educate the secondary school students on taking care of the environment. Similarly, these skills can be put to good use by educating the school populace or perhaps aid community awareness projects, depending on the need of each group. A possible initiative could be to conduct speech classes at the local orphanages to help boost the children's confidence and serve the community. Such projects would be inline with the spirit of service of Notre Dame and hence only widen the scope of service Notre Dame can provide to the community.
To sum up, I feel that my public speaking skills can not only serve me but also Notre Dame well by aiding the expansion of the horizons of the service the college provides and by broadening the scope of activities available at Notre Dame. However, this is only one facet of my personality and I feel that all my talents make me a unique individual who can contribute significantly to the Notre Dame community by not only creating public speaking avenues but also adding greater diversity to the college. Like Erma Bombeck said "When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me.""
I was born in India and lived there for 8 years and then moved to Indonesia, Jakarta, where I studied in an International School.This was followed by our migration to Singapore.
The high level of social interaction demands a convincing and yet confident speaker who will be able to present his or her firm impressively to their client. Hence, to begin my development as a speaker, I joined the debating club and participated in a few competitions and also won the championship for the community club debate. As I moved on to my 11th and 12th grades, I was invited to join the gavel club which is affiliated with the international toastmasters' club.
To sum up, I feel that my public speaking skills can not only serve me, but also Notre Dame by aiding the expansion of the horizons of the service the college provides and by broadening the scope of activities available.
Great last sentence!
:)
