Speech #7

I gave my seventh Competent Communicator speech at my Toastmasters International club yesterday. In order to earn the title of Competent Communicator (CC), members must complete ten speeches, and have them evaluated by another team member. I am three speeches away from my CC. Last year, I placed third in the District level of the International Speech contest. I am also three semesters away from earning my Bachelor's degree. My son is three and as healthy as ever. My mentor once told me that great things come in three's.

The seventh speech requires the speaker to research a topic of her choice. My speech topic was going back to school after the age of 25. The title of the speech was "It's Never Too Late." I researched statistics from various sources about adult learners/non-traditional students. What I found out was that adult learners are the fastest growing education demographic (U.S. Department of Education). I discovered that by the year 2020, 43% of all college students will be over the age of 25 (nbcnews.com).

After attending Cuyahoga Community College where I earned my first degree, I realized how many adults actually reenter college. Many of my classes had a huge age range, spanning from 16 to 86. Tri-C was a hub for adult learners! On my first day of class, I knew for sure I'd be the oldest student at 25 years old. Instead I was usually one of the youngest! I remember I took a Creative Writing class with a beautiful spirit named John.

John was in his seventies and his stories were enthralling. I still have a couple of the short stories that he wrote in the class. I remember having to bring my son to the class one afternoon. John fell in love with Ryan, and even held him and took a picture with him. I also gave him a copy of my book because he told me he wanted to write a book too. I always looked forward to grouping with John and a few of my other favorite writers in the class. He has a way with words. His experience mixed with talent and confidence kept my eyes glued to the paper. Unfortunately, John recently had a stroke which affected his speech. I'll never forget John the Marine. I even sent him pictures of Ryan recently after we spoke on the phone briefly. Keep John and his family in your prayers please.

I've met dozens of great people going back to college after the age of 25. In my research I found at that community colleges are not the only institutions that attract adult learners. These colleges have the highest percentage of students over the age of 25: Antioch University in Yellow Springs, Ohio - 95%, Charter Oaks State College in New Britain, Connecticut - 91%, and SUNY Empire State College in Saratoga Springs, New York - 84%. If you or someone you know wants to go back to school, but may have some reservations about the age gap could consider attending one of those schools.

Many times we are negatively influenced by the media. We become fearful of following our dreams because we think we are too old or too young. In my speech, I asked the question, is there really a such thing as too old or too young? Did you know that there are millionaires in elementary school? Have you seen the viral video of the 80 year old woman who went skydiving for her birthday? Obviously there are some things physically and legally that people of a certain age are restricted from doing. However, when it comes to attainable goals like starting a business, going back to school, or learning to be a better public speaker, age is not a limitation.

I admit that sometimes I feel a bit out of place around a bunch of 18, 19 and 20 year olds. But I know why I'm here and who I'm here for. My vision is clear and I'm focused MAN!!

As I prepare for my eighth speech, and my contest speech I'm confident that it will relate to audiences of all ages. I've learned and taught many lessons so far in my life, and I know that we are all connected. There is always a common thread no matter what age or stage of life one is experiencing.