The prepared public speaking leadership development event (LDE) is a competition Shayde Harris never dreamed of participating in.
The Beebe FFA member from Beebe, Ark., has a speech impediment, which made him hesitant to participate in a competition that emphasized his challenges. With encouragement and support from his advisors and mentors, he decided to face the challenge head on, writing a speech on inclusion in FFA.
“It was terrifying, but I decided that, you know what, I’ll do it,” Harris says. “When I was actually choosing what I was going to talk about, I thought about why I like FFA so much and why I am even in it.”
In his speech, he shared his experiences with vocal challenges and spoke about the competitions that made him feel connected to members and FFA.
“[Prepared] public speaking was the first real public speaking I did. Over time, it got easier with practice as I became familiar with my script and more fluent in my speaking,” Harris says. “It eventually all came together and worked out for the better.”
Harris won the Arkansas FFA prepared public speaking LDE with his speech “Finding Your Voice”. He fell short of competing at national convention after the virtual qualification round, but he’s still proud of his accomplishments.
“I never would have dreamed I could win state in anything, especially state [prepared] public speaking because, you know, I struggle with speaking well,” Harris says. “It was crazy because this accomplishment showed me I could do things that I previously thought I was unable to.”
Harris says the event provided opportunities for growth and gave him confidence in social settings. He hopes members with similar situations learn from his experience and know it is okay to be different because everyone has a place in FFA.
“If I would not have participated, I would not be the speaker I am today,” Harris says. “I learned to not let moments of fear hold me back. Leaning into uncomfortable moments leads to growth and development in all aspects.”
