When I first arrived at the campus of Tufts University my experience was bittersweet. It was raining so heavily and the campus was so big that I ended up walking for two hours in circles in the rain (I was exhausted). Every building was locked, and not a lot of people where around. However, when I arrived at Eaton, I was able to find help and my director came to get me. In that two hour walk, I really enjoyed the beauty of Tufts University. This was my first time ever coming to Boston by myself, and I had a lot of independence and responsibility. I must admit, I was a little anxious and scared at first because I thought I was lost. Although I didn't get a roommate because there were only other boys who stayed overnight, I still made a lot of amazing friends from Venezuela, Japan, Africa, Mexico, and India. I want to end this by thanking by the instructor Karen Cavanaugh, who is someone I admire because she actually taught us about the skills that make people excellent public speakers. Because of her, I now listen to the Moths, which are true stories told live, and Ted Talks so that I can learn from people who are excellent public speakers. Last but not least, I thank Rob Egan, my debate/public speaking teacher, who really taught me so may things on my last presentation about service learning. I was able to give a final speech to an audience without any notes and without having to memorize an entire paper. There are many things I can tweak and improve, but it's all about having confidence in oneself.

I'm beyond excited to attend Public Speaking Institute at Tufts University! Tomorrow marks the first day that I will be at campus and will start to learn many new things. Public Speaking Institute will for sure help me develop the skills of an effective leader, and I can't wait to use those skills in all of my classes when I return back to school in August! I will continue to keep you guys posted and will for sure share my new experiences and accomplishments with you guys!!!