UNM houses two Toastmasters clubs that meet weekly on both North Campus and Main Campus.
Established in 1924, Toastmasters is an international organization designed to help members develop public speaking and leadership skills. The organization has over 300,000 members with 15,000 chapters in 142 countries, according to its website.
“On its surface it’s a public speaking club, and it helps people learn how to speak in public,” said Mandy Gardner, a Toastmasters member. “It teaches you so much about being your real self in the world and being a member of the community.”
One club at UNM, the Salud Speakers Toastmasters Club, has 20 active members composed of UNM students, faculty and staff, and community members. The group was established in 2011 and is open for anyone to join.
Meetings are held on North Campus.
The other Toastmasters group, Lobo Toastmasters, was established in 2002 and has a dozen active members. Like Salud Speakers, Lobo Toastmasters is composed of students and faculty and is open for anyone to join. Meetings for Lobo Toastmasters are held on Main Campus in the SUB.
Nancy Risenhoover, an administrator in the Department of Pathology, said she is an original member of Salud Speakers.
“I’ve never been the kind of person to enjoy speaking or being in front of a crowd,” she said.
Members of the club give speeches at meetings on a number of topics such as how to sell a product, the 12 steps of creative writing, and the definition of homelessness, just to name a few.
On top of speeches, members fill leadership positions, fulfill advancement requirements, and receive and give feedback.
The main objective for many starting out, is to gain more experience public speaking.
Risenhoover represents one of those cases and joined the club to do just that.
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“Toastmasters has been very helpful,” she said. “I’ve never been the kind of person to enjoy speaking or being in front of a crowd.”
While Toastmasters hasn’t changed that, it has given her “the self-awareness and confidence to be a good public speaker,” she said.
Gardner noted that, though she has only been active with Toastmasters for about six months, she’s learned a lot in her time.
“I was looking for ways to build confidence and grow in my career,” she said.
Another member, pathology professor Qian-Yun Zhang, has also seen notable benefits from her start at the beginning of the semester.
“Thought I’ve been giving lectures for years, I always have things to work on,” she said. “You’re always trying to fine-tune and perfect your career.”
Zhang noted that Toastmasters has done much to better her skills. Gardner, who is a journalist and social activist, echoed that sentiment, saying her participation in the club has helped with her writing and critical thinking.
“I feel it’s helping me walk around in the world and not be as timid,” Gardner said.
According to both Zhang and Gardner, the benefits of Toastmasters apply to students as well.
“Students are already so busy,” Zhang noted, “but if they could just squeeze out one hour a week, they can learn a lot of things and improve their presentation and public speaking skills. I think it’s definitely worth the time.”
Gardner said there are very concrete advantages for both undergraduate and graduate students.
“I wish I’d found or had the guts to do it when I was younger,” she said.
Gardner also pointed out that skills learned from the group can be used in networking, communicating and interviewing for a position, emphasizing that the confidence gained at Toastmasters is invaluable for people of any age.
Alicia Garcia, a graduate student at UNM, said she has been a member for two years, and has experienced firsthand the benefits the club can have for students.
“It doesn’t feel like taking another class for an hour every week,” she said. “You get a lot of benefit without feeling like you’re putting a lot of work in.”
Garcia noted students can learn a lot even if their time is limited. She said she has given about a dozen speeches, most of them academics-focused and helping her to prepare for class presentations.
Zhang said the community formed within the group is another important facet.
“The club allows and encourages you to share your personal story,” she said. “I realized that it was such a beautiful place. You don’t have to worry about anyone laughing or judging. It’s just a really beautiful place.”
Garcia said she sees no reason why students shouldn’t join.
“It’s a low-to-no risk way to dip your toes into public speaking,” she said. “You have little to lose, and everything to gain.”
Brendon Gray is a news reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @notgraybrendon.
