Communication plays a very large part in my life, and will continue to be important to my major as it transitions into a career. Athletic Trainers are largely teachers and medical jargon translators. My reading comprehension skills must be high, as well as my ability to interact with all kinds of people. I firmly believe that my childhood love of reading, as well as my more recent public speaking skills are the reason I stumbled upon my major.
A story I have been told all my life is of how I drifted towards large books at a young age. I remember the first large book I read was part of a series, I had to have my mom help me. By the third installment of the series I was reading alone. Reading always fuels my imagination and gives me loads of ideas. My grades in English, Language Arts and Literature classes have always been high, and I credit that to my extensive reading background. I learned most of my knowledge by reading books above my comprehension to increase my vocabulary and to keep interested. Reading has improved my ability to notice and appreciate my surroundings, enhanced my focus and allowed me to predict the ending of most movies. Perhaps because I spent so much time reading, I never learned to love speaking in front of large groups.
Until sophomore year I was terrified to speak in front of crowds of people, but due to several after school activities, I learned to cope with my fear. I joined speech mainly to spend time with friends. Speech contest was a true test of my fear of crowds. Though I still to this day get nervous, I realized that simply being prepared makes the whole experience almost enjoyable. Due to that experience I began to open my mind to more opportunities. One such opportunity was the role of choreographer in my school’s musical. This included teaching all the dances to the whole cast, approximately 60 peers. Having to take control to teach, manage and sometimes yell at people my own age really increased my confidence. Not having a script in front of me, as well as having to be the person in charge when I really had no clue what was happening has given me an ability to invent new ideas quickly. It is a difficult learning curve to figure out a way to communicate dance to people who have never heard of a plié.
My confidence gained through public speaking has positively impacted me by decreasing my anxiety as well as giving me a healthy and positive outlook on life. Additionally, the creativity I have gathered through my reading will positively impact my career as an athletic trainer.