Cue the sweaty palms, shaky voice and dozens of eyeballs staring from the audience. Public speaking can be terrifying. However, for the members of the 4-H Toastmasters club, speeches are what students enjoy most about the club. 

The 4-H Toastmasters club was created in 2019 by Cedar Park graduate, Deana Trautz. As the first youth branch in the worldwide organization, the club is not based in one school and welcomes students from multiple elementary, middle and high schools within Williamson County. Junior Ruchi Sankolli joined the club in eighth grade and has held several leadership roles over the years, including club president. She is currently serving as one of the club’s two County Delegates.

“My parents were actually the first to recommend that I join the club to generally improve my confidence and speaking skills because I was very shy back then,” Sankolli said. “I initially had doubts about it, but after thinking it over, I decided that it would be nice to try something out of my comfort zone in order to change myself for the better.”

While the club’s main purpose is to help members improve their confidence and ability in public speaking, Sankolli said that Toastmasters takes part in a variety of activities, including community service, animal shows and even art events. In November, members will participate in a club speech contest and an annual Williamson County contest in December, which includes numerous contest options, such as speech, welding, cooking and art.

Club meetings are usually focused on giving members the opportunity to practice speeches and receive constructive criticism from their peers. The club also participates in holiday parties, potlucks and invites guest speakers who focus on helping members properly deliver speeches. Overall, Sankolli said that the club seeks to provide a welcoming environment for all members.

“Our club is best known for its warm, friendly and accepting environment,” Sankolli said. “We emphasize kindness towards our members and advocate for constructive criticism and improvement for our members. We strive for this kind of environment because a lot of people who join us are nervous and sometimes afraid to speak out, so maintaining this environment is important.”

By focusing on public speaking and leadership responsibility, Sankolli said that the 4-H Toastmasters club has allowed her to gain confidence in her abilities and actions.

“This club has helped me grow so much as a person and a speaker,” Sankolli said. “I have seen immense progress in myself. I have become much more confident and I am not afraid to speak my mind and do what I want. I am also not afraid to speak in front of audiences now, which I am grateful for. I have also become more resourceful and independent, as I am running things in the club by myself and taking up opportunities and encouraging others to do so as well. Since our club was and still is full of members who are younger than me, I feel more responsible for their growth as well. This club has taught me to be kind and accepting of others as well.”

After hearing about the club from a friend, senior Jasmine Cooper decided to join Toastmasters last year. She currently holds two officer positions, County Delegate and Bank Treasurer, and her responsibilities include attending meetings once a month with delegates from other clubs in the county to discuss club goals and projects, as well as managing the bank account and finances of the club.

Cooper said that along with communication, the club has taught her key lessons in responsibility and problem-solving. With members from all over the county, Cooper said that she has made many friends and enjoys listening to the different speeches each meeting.

“I always love giving compliments on how well the speaker delivered their speech and what aspects or skills they used to enhance the effectiveness,” Cooper said. “My favorite part of the club is seeing how well our members have improved in public speaking.”

Last year, club meetings took place at the Lakeline Oaks Community Building. However, this year all meetings are virtual. While Cooper said that she still enjoys the club, the switch has definitely impacted the environment.

“COVID certainly changed how we carry out our meetings,” Cooper said. “The atmosphere of the environment changed. We still have connections with one another on Zoom, but that does not top having in-person connections. I guess the meetings are still fun, but our laptops limit the effectiveness of our social interactions with each other.”

Junior Vibhaa Senthilkumaravelan is currently the president for Toastmasters and is in charge of starting and organizing the club meetings. As a member of a gavel club in California, a club created by the Toastmasters organization for groups who are unable to become members due to age or other situations, Senthilkumaravelan decided to join 4-H after moving to Texas last year.

“I love the community that we have created,” Senthilkumaravelan said. “I love the fact that I get to have a leadership role and I am not looked down upon. I enjoy working with the other members [to] make this club better than it has ever been before.”

The 4-H Toastmasters club is open for anyone to join. Meetings are held online every Tuesday at 7 p.m. According to Cooper, the club offers a secure place for everyone to practice and improve in public speaking.

“The overall environment of the club is so welcoming, supportive and fun,” Cooper said. “I know that each one of our members feels that our club is a safe place for us to practice speaking or just talking about different things we are interested in. I made so many friends in our close-knit group.”

For more information about 4-H Toastmasters, visit the club’s website.