Before starting at NJIT, a mentor of mine had emphasized to me the importance of “soft skills” and encouraged me to join Toastmasters International–a non-profit organization that helps its members to develop their communication and leadership skills. I immediately joined NJIT’s Toastmasters club in my first semester. Unfortunately, the club was not well attended nor officially chartered with the organization-it did not provide the enthusiastic and supportive learning environment that my mentor had talked about. At the end of the year the club’s leadership wanted to disband the club. 
I saw a clear need for Toastmasters at NJIT. Our institute has brilliant analytical thinkers with a strong focus on science, engineering, and math. However, soft skills were overlooked at the student’s expense. Their extraordinary capabilities would go unnoticed if they could not communicate or lead effectively. To address this issue, I became club president and decided to reinvigorate it, chartering with Toastmasters International so that students could benefit.
I knew it would be challenging to establish the club and fill this niche in our community. I had no membership base, resources, or leadership team to begin with. I was not sure how I would persuade students to realize the importance of and make time for personal development and to become due-paying members. I did, however, have a strong vision and purpose for the club and the belief that I could create it.
I spent the summer visiting local Toastmasters clubs to learn more about rules, regulations, and meeting procedures. I assembled a leadership team to run the club with me. We did everything we could to promote club growth and recognition: went to club fairs, posted flyers, and marketed to students, staff, and faculty. We planned and executed campus events, brought in guest speakers, and participated in Toastmasters International officer training. We focused on providing value to our members through high quality meetings, educational programs, and mentorship.
Our efforts were successful–our first meeting had almost 40 people in attendance and within 6 months our charter membership grew from 1 to 23. Our club was featured in NJIT’s Albert Dorman Honors College Newsletter (http://honors.njit.edu/news/newsletters.php). We now hold weekly meetings with at least 15-20 people in attendance. The club serves as a resource for NJIT, Rutgers-Newark, and Essex County College students and staff/faculty, providing a friendly and supportive environment for them to improve their public speaking, communication, and leadership skills.
Witnessing members’ personal growth and transformation in the club has been tremendously rewarding. Many were shy and nervous when speaking at their first meetings. After several attempts and encouragement their confidence, self-esteem, and public speaking abilities have dramatically improved.
It is often said that bigger challenges create bigger opportunities for growth. Revamping and chartering an NJIT Toastmasters club has confirmed this truism for me. Doing so has helped me to become a better leader–I gained experience in and became more adept at delegation, working with a team, preparing for and running meetings, event planning and promotion, and public speaking.
As Area 81 Director, I hope to continue to use and hone these skills in order to assist our clubs in attaining their DCP goals. It is truly an exciting opportunity–one I am immensely grateful for.