[BWC] Personal Statement Draft #1

As a child, I was always terrified of the idea of expressing myself through speaking to people. I would come across as shy and timid to everyone I met and did not make any effort to talk to others. When my first year of school began, I did not feel comfortable among so many new strangers. Unlike the rest of the children, I felt paralyzed when I had to speak to others in the class. Throughout the next few years, I would hide myself behind a shell of timidity so hopefully I could avoid talking to new individuals.

Reflecting on my years of elementary school, I wish that I could have been more comfortable about talking to people. But as time went on, I began to chip away at the shell of timidity that I had worked so hard to build up. I realized that the only way I could even begin to feel more relaxed about communicating with people was by facing my fears. By the time I reached middle school, I was able to talk to my friends and family without the nagging fear of conversing with others. Even though I was now able to speak to people freely, I found a new source of intimidation which I recognized as speaking in front of an audience. Until middle school, I was not obligated to give presentations in front of the class, and so audiences became my source of inhibition.

Last year I was able to overcome my fear of public speaking when I became a volunteer CPR Instructor for the American Red Cross. As a part of the instructor training, our group of instructors-in-training had to "teach back" the standardized material that we had just learned through the Red Cross. Even though I was horrible at speaking in front of everyone, I refused to give up. I knew that the only way to overcome my phobia of presenting to an audience was to face it head-on. By the end of instructor training course, I found myself more comfortable with assemblies of people.

Now that I am a full-fledged volunteer CPR Instructor, I have taught many classes and every time I teach, it becomes easier and easier for me to get past the usual uneasy feeling. I love being able to instruct people on how to save other's lives, and it made me realize that I was able to push through my social barrier with determination and perseverance. As time goes on, I still hope to be a part of this life changing program for both instructors and participants. My whole experience with the American Red Cross has taught me that anything is possible with commitment and hard work, and I will always be grateful for being able to be a part of it.