Public Speaking Terrifies Me

....But Anthia had to do it.

It was her time to make a speech to the student body in an attempt to appeal to voters. She had to share what her stance was and what she would do as a student council member. This was definitely nerve-wracking, and she didn't like this one bit. As a shy, introverted soul, going up on a stage in front of a crowd was terrifying. She had trouble in party settings; at least in parties everyone was doing their own thing. In this case, everyone would be focused on her. There were no distractions; she was the main event.

The ninth grader could melt in her cute dress. Her heart ran several miles a minute. Breathing felt difficult. She forced herself to step to the podium. Awkwardly enough, she had to step up onto a stool. Her eyes scanned the audience. Looking at the crowd made her feel dizzy. She didn't know if she was ready. She didn't feel fully ready. Maybe she needed to practice more with Shay. Maybe she needed to practice with her whole family. Maybe she needed to talk this through more. Maybe she needed-no, she was prepared. She practiced enough. The day was here now. Here goes nothing.

"Hello everyone, I am Anthia Everglow-Rosales, and I am running for Student Council. I came to this school not too long ago. I have lived on the island for most of my life, but I was trapped in unfortunate circumstances that prevented me from attending Starlight Academy. Thanks to the diligent scout team, I was able to enroll into the academy and finally go to school for the first time.

However, I found myself burdened with many changes with this new step of my life. I was cripplingly shy, and I had trouble even speaking to one person. If it were not for my newfound siblings, I would not be running for Student Council today. The reason why I chose to run for Student Council was because I realized I was not alone in my struggle. Every day, new students enroll into Starlight Academy. These students come from many different backgrounds and come from a seemingly endless range of species. Though all students are unique, the common thread we all have is the desire to fit in. We all want to find at least one person we can relate to. It doesn't mean that we want to be popular or that we want to be the ruler of the school. It means that we need a friend.

Students new to the island or even the planet especially need one. There are many cases where people arrive here knowing no one. To make matters crazier, there's a solid chance they just learned about their special ability. Feeling like you're all alone with all of these changes is scary--no, terrifying! That's why I want to offer more help to those arriving to the academy. I wish to open up more events for newcomers and maybe even form a club. The goal would be to let people become more acclimated to the school and meet others whom are in the same boat as them. I want these events and services to be available year-round so that no matter when someone comes in, they have a support net to rely on.

I will also implement more policies to combat bullying and discrimination. These issues plague both new and returning students and make Starlight Academy feel less of a welcoming environment. What we have here is a beautifully diverse community. A community of people of different races, species, powers, and many other factors. This academy and this island should continue to be welcoming to everyone that comes here. We need this now more than ever with the new space station. Now people from completely different planets are coming here to get an education. While our school is great and the people attending here, working here are even better, we need to continue that path of greatness.

As a candidate, I acknowledge that if I'm elected, then it will be my responsibility to represent the student body. It will also be my responsibility to ensure the happiness of everyone within this large community we have here. I intend to execute my plans and make good on my statements. I will fulfill my duties as a student council member and will always fight to make sure everyone has a voice in our community. I thank you all for listening."

Anthia felt tense for a moment as she finished the speech. She wasn't sure if she had done a good job or not. Suddenly a round of loud applause happened. The enthusiastic reaction almost caused her to stumble as she moved from the podium. The elf waved and smiled as she walked away. She was on her way to the front row when Vinanye suddenly popped up and gave her a huge hug. He was squeezing her tight. She didn't see the watery eyes yet. Her arms wrapped around his body.

"N-No....it was scary...."

But hearing him react so positively made her feel great. She had done a wonderful job apparently, and her political future was looking bright.

@Foxy

Anthia saw Vinanye's face as he pulled back from the hug. Oh! He was crying! But they were clearly tears of joy. He praised her performance and mentioned that she would do great on the student council. The happiest squeal possible came out of her mouth as she started tearing up too. A proud grin stretched across her face.

"Yay! Let's get something sweet!"

She immediately clung onto his arm. Vin was officially Ann's older brother. While they weren't related biologically, she felt like they had grown so close over the past few days that she could refer to him as her brother without issue. He was just so kind and encouraging! He also had a protective side to him. It was time to celebrate for she had made her first public speech.

They went to one of the cafes on campus. It was nice going into one that she wasn't working in; she loved the maid cafe, but leading and cooking there was certainly a chore! She adored the table setup; the flowers were pretty, and she could feel the sunlight coming through the window. It made her glow (Literally!). Not wanting to waste Vin's money, she ordered a drink and a large snack in the form of a funnel cake. That way, she wouldn't have to get multiple snacks. The elf took one bite as Vin offered his help. This made her beam even more.

"Really?! That would be wonderful! I think 'Starlight Welcoming Committee' might be a suitable name. But hm...maybe that name doesn't cover everything the club does. What do you think?"

"Ooo, I love the acronym! Yeah, that's big brother, big sister program is what I want!"

They were on the same page when it came to the goal. The club would help incoming new students and also allow them to join with the idea that they can get assistance and also hang out together. Having older students mentor the newcomers would not only give them a basic rundown of the academy but would also allow them to have more experienced friends. Surely then they could acclimate better to the school. She pulled out a pen and paper and wrote the name down. She also wrote down the club's purpose.

"Alright, so we should also think of things the club can do. Like perhaps a game night? We could set up different board games and stuff!"

She wrote that idea down.