Stepping out of your comfort zone is never easy, but it can open doors to extraordinary opportunities. One of our Year 12 students shares their inspiring journey from delivering a nervous school assembly speech to standing in the House of Commons, proving that courage and determination can take you further than you ever imagined.
“Take every opportunity that a teacher gives you…you never know, you could end up speaking in the UK Parliament!“
Public speaking is something that everybody fears, and I’m no exception. It’s scary, nerve wracking, and it rarely gets much easier; but it can also take you so much further than you could ever imagine if you can build the courage to step out of your comfort zone. Two years ago, my GCSE history class was completely captivated by the UK general election and we had the opportunity to create our own King Richard School (KRS) Mock Election where each of us represented a different political party and held hustings events, debates and even some propaganda to promote our party. It involved giving a speech in assembly in front of the school, paired with posters and banners around the school. That speech was my first time ever really doing any public speaking and I was extremely nervous and I didn’t think I would be able to do it. But nevertheless, the assembly rolled around and with shaky hands and a trembling voice, I gave my speech alongside my (equally as anxious) classmates. The feeling afterwards was a feeling of accomplishment that completely inspired me to keep pushing myself out of my comfort zone, and at that moment I had no idea that two years later I would’ve taken the opportunity to speak in the House of Commons.
In early October, the Sixth Form was given an opportunity to go to London and participate in a Youth Parliament event that involved a debate around 5 different topics, giving opinions on each matter. At first, I thought this was way out of my depth and I immediately shut the door to the opportunity. However, with some much needed encouragement and support from my parents I changed my mind and decided to take the jump. I then had a month of preparation and anticipation ahead of me, which actually felt like two minutes! I spent the time writing speeches for each of the 5 topics and also participated in a few zoom meetings with fellow Members of Youth Parliament which really helped me set out my ideas and plan for the event. About 2 weeks before the adventure, I was given the opportunity to write a 2 minute speech for Remembrance Day, honouring the 80th anniversary of World War II and also giving a perspective from an Armed Forces child. I was delighted to take the offer and made sure to incorporate the viewpoint of someone who grew up on a military base into the speech.
Before I knew it, the day had come and I was on the plane to London. To say I was excited would be an understatement – I was absolutely thrilled and it’s no surprise that I had trouble sleeping that night! In the morning, we made our way down to the Houses of Parliament and began spotting other excited young people around. Eventually, it was our time to go in and we were escorted into Westminster hall (definitely the grandest hall I’ve ever been in!). As we stood in the hall, we first had the privilege of meeting Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and then we were even shown into his home which was absolutely magnificent! Even before entering the chamber, the day had been so special and we felt so fortunate to have been given these opportunities.
Then came 10:00, and we were taken straight from Mr Speaker’s dining room to the House of Commons which was breathtaking from the moment we walked in. As we took our seats, we excitedly watched everyone fill this historic room with chatter echoing through the Chamber. The event started with a collection of Remembrance speeches (including ours) and then soon moved on to the 5 debate topics, one being crime which I had the privilege of speaking about. Five hours goes by quickly when you’re filled with adrenaline and excitement, so at 16:00 we were led out of the Houses of Parliament and back to Covent Garden for some well earned sight-seeing.
This experience has been inspiring, exhilarating, and wonderfully intense and I couldn’t be more grateful to have had the opportunity to go on this adventure. It has taught me to take every opportunity I’m given no matter how scared or nervous I am, and it has reminded me that nerves will only last a few minutes while the memories will last a lifetime.
Erin, Year 12, King Richard School