Did you know, about 75% of people have a fear of public speaking? One of the best ways to get over a fear is to face it head-on. If you're like me and public speaking hasn’t always been your strong suit, one way to better your skills would be to participate in the Extemporaneous Public Speaking Contest at the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS).  

This contest is designed to develop the ability of juniors to speak on a topic without having prepared content in advance. On the day of the contest, the individual will draw a topic and have a designated amount of time to prepare. After the preparation time is up, it's time for the individual to give their speech. 

Individuals in the junior division will have a time range of 1-3 minutes to give their speech. The intermediate and senior divisions will be between 2 – 6 minutes in length. After giving your speech, there will be three minutes allotted for questions from the judges.  The extemporaneous speaking content will challenge you to think on your feet, which is a skill you’ll need for any path you take in life.  

One piece of advice I have for being successful in this contest is to be confident. Even if you aren’t feeling the utmost confident, fake it till you make it, I say with a smile. Remember, the judges don’t know what you had planned out to say, so only you know if you said something you didn’t plan for. Aside from being confident, I encourage you to have fun with this contest! No harm comes from participating. No matter what, you are getting experience speaking in front of people which is going to develop your character.   

Like many situations in life, we can learn from those who came before us. When speaking with one of our very own junior members who has had great success in the extemporaneous speaking contest, she had a few words of wisdom.  

Former Miss American Angus, Lauren Wolter, said, “My biggest piece of advice to contestants is to always be expanding their knowledge, and not just leading up to the contest. Listening to a variety of podcasts, having conversations with respected breeders, and always seeking to learn more about the industry is what allowed me to not only craft great speeches but effectively answer questions too.”  

Remember, the way we grow in life is by getting outside of our comfort zone. Whether it be participating in the extemporaneous public speaking contest this year at junior nationals or any other contest, I encourage you to push yourself beyond your comfort zone!