Hello all! Just thought I’d inform you of a big new project that I’m working on. It’s been occupying a good chunk of my time, actually, but I think that that’ll pay off eventually.

I’m entering the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Communication Contest. It’s a contest where entrants are to create a speech, poem, or rap made to commemorate MLK and his life, beliefs, etc. You also have to (or get to, I’d say), perform your work in front of a panel of judges and, possibly, a crowd of people. The first place winner receives a $1,000 prize, along with an appearance at 2017 TEDx Wilmington.

As you can see, I’ve taken the speech option. Admittedly I don’t have very much experience in public speaking, but I’m doing this for a few reasons. First of all, I’ve done some minor on-stage work in the past, and it went pretty well; I loved the feeling, I performed just how I imagined, and oddly enough, stagefright wasn’t a problem. So I feel like doing this and practicing my speaking skills would do me well. Second, the top prize. I could really put that money to good use, and the presentation at TEDx could really get me out there. Overall I think it will just be a very good experience, even if I don’t win.

Look out for more about this in the future. If there are any more developments in the process then I’ll most certainly update you guys here! There’s a lot to be learned, and this is definitely going to be an awesome experience.