Alumna wins Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking
Less
than
a
year
after
her
December
2017
graduation,
BW
alumna
Ramona
J.
Smith
was
crowned
winner
of
the
Toastmasters
International
2018
World
Championship
of
Public
Speaking,
catapulting
her
closer
to
her
dream
of
working
as
a
motivational
speaker.
The global contest started with 80,000 competitors, which was reduced to 106 semi-finalists, then to 10 finalists, and over the weekend to one world champion!
According to an article on cleveland.com, Smith is "only the second African-American woman to win the competition in its 80-year history and the first woman to win in 10 years."
Still Standing
Smith says that because she was required to deliver new material for the finals, she wrote her boxing-themed speech, "Still Standing," in her hotel room the night before, drawing inspiration from her own life experiences perservering through adversity.
As Smith recalled in the winning speech, she dropped out of college more than once before enrolling at BW and completing her degree in public relations … with magna cum laude honors!
Coming to a keynote near you?
The
Cleveland
native
relocated
to
Houston
after
graduation
where
she's
been
teaching
and
inspiring
high
school
students
while
continuing
to
build
her
now
world-champion
skills
as
a
motivational
speaker.
Since the Toastmasters title is rocket fuel for a speaking career, Smith is on her way to achieving her dream. So, look for her soon at a keynote address near you!