1st Guest Speaker Event: The Crème de la Crème of the Author Experience

2018 Women in Leadership Symposium
Ursuline Academy, March 2nd, 2018

My heart is incredibly full. The utmost honor for an author is to speak in front of an audience, and I received my chance yesterday. Ursuline Academy—an all-girl, private, Catholic school, asked me to speak alongside keynote Peter Reynolds and three other alumnae at the 2018 Women in Leadership Symposium.
 
Participating as a guest speaker at this event allowed me to experience several levels of pride: to inspire young women, to give back to my high school, and to share my life story that lead me up to publishing my first novel.
 
The theme was “Make Your Mark”, and each speaker chose different paths and provided valuable stories and lessons for the juniors and seniors at UA. I was particularly excited about the keynote speaker: Peter Reynolds is a New York Best Selling children’s book author and illustrator. He is someone I aspire to be.
 
That aside, I wanted to share my experience: like with any form of joy, it naturally spreads.
 
March 2nd started with a Nor’easter: torrential downpour and hair-whipping wind. I scurried inside the doors of my former high school and was greeted warmly by faculty and staff, including Susan who had invited me. As a swirl of plaid skirts whirled by (students rushing not to miss homeroom), I was escorted to the auditorium and munched on snacks and coffee as the other speakers trickled in. As soon as we started breaking the ice, it was time to take pictures. For me, I was star struck. I never had so many pictures taken—and with a best-selling author! (Now some of you my laugh at my awe in this situation, but these moments were paramount in my life)
 
Once the shockingly loud bell rang, juniors and seniors filtered in. Wide-eyed, I observed the audience, imagining my days in their position (a good 11 years ago). Then, all the speakers, including myself, were led to the stage in a panel-like setting.
 
I was third.  So, imagine me, drinking my coffee with trembling hands. My arms clamped down as I began pouring with sweat. Contrary how I thought this was going to playout, I did not fully write down a speech. I had two index cards with bullet points, and I didn’t practice until 10 P.M. the night before. My gut told me to wing it, which was a first for a person with serious OCD.
 
When it was my turn, my focus honed onto the students like a lodestone. Mic in hand, I walked as I spoke and took the time to explain my emotions as I ventured through high school, college, a “quarter-life crisis”, then taking a chance at writing with NaNoWriMo 2014.
 
Part of my speech as an author was to acknowledge the reality of how life can… throw a lot of obstacles. Many people told me that “writing doesn’t pay the bills”, “artists are losers”, and “very little authors make it big—your chances at succeeding are slim to none”. I fought upstream my whole life: the pressure to become a doctor (of any kind, and in this case, a pharmacist), and focus on being successful.
 
However, what defines “success”? So, my central message was that everyone will embark on their own life journey. Some will do great things, while others may make a difference in a quieter manner. But no matter how you spin it, as long as you commit your actions with love and passion, your life is fulfilling its purpose. You don’t have to be world famous to impact one life, and impacting one life creates a ripple effect.
 
My speech was over before I knew it. After everyone spoke, there was a Q & A session. I encouraged the students to ask anything since I knew teenagers tend to shy away from raising their hand. Girls asked about our experiences at Ursuline, how the transition to college was, and what we did in the face of rejection/obstacles.
 
We had a few laughs, reminiscing our boy-crazy days and trekking through our goose-poop filled field. The session also flew at lightning speed, and it was time for the students to return to class. Some of them thanked us as they walked by.
 
Even after the symposium, time continued to speed by. I exchanged contacts with Peter Reynolds, caught up with some teachers, participated in a short video interview, and dropped by the library. The Ursuline library was my second home for six years of my teen life. I camped there every morning, between classes, after lunches, and after school sometimes. When I peered in, there was a mix of shock and nostalgia: the library looked the same but with some updates to technology. Old and new. I donated my novel, The Aeonians and one of the Just-Us-League anthologies, while conversing with the librarian—a relatively new hire who was a real librarian. Like a librarian at a non-school library!
 
But all good things come to an end. I said my good-byes and zoomed home to work.
It has been 12 hours since the event and I still feel like I’m on cloud 9.

Photo taken by: Ursuline Dedham- Alumni

So, writer friends, what to take away from my experience? Even though mine had a special, personal meaning, I learned a lot.
 

1. Don’t sweat the actual speech. Focus on the main points and the rest will flow.
2. Consider walking while you speak vs sitting or standing in place
3. Engage the audience with hand gestures, genuine tone of voices, and personal experiences
4. Network with the other speakers (if you’re part of a panel).
5. Avoid clamping up. I participated in the other speeches (raising my hand a little too enthusiastically. But it made it more fun!)
6. Be humble.
7. Even though you are the guest speaker, the audience will inspire you just as much, if not twice-fold. Be prepared for that wave of positive energy. (There may situations where this isn’t always the case, but be positive!)
8. Treasure each moment, each question, each thank you
9. Bring your business cards
10. Consider donating your books to wherever you’re speaking
11. Lastly, public speaking is one of the top phobias. If you have the chance, take speech/public speaking class or lessons. I participated in the speech team during my 6 years at Ursuline, and while I still get nervous, I had the tools and confidence to speak in front of a large crowd with ease. If you get comfortable with public speaking, it can be extremely fun!

 
This has been the single best memory of the year so far. Thank you, Ursuline Academy. Thank you, strong young women for listening. It was an honor to share my story, and I can only hope I inspired at least ONE student there. If I ever get the chance to speak anywhere else, it will always pale against my speech at Ursuline’s Women in Leadership Symposium.

Learn about Peter Reynolds