Regular Meeting 132, Nov. 21, 2025 (Hybrid)

【Reflections After Completing My Level 5 Project Speech “100”】

This time, I completed the Pathways Level 5 project　

Dynamic Leadership: Prepare to Speak Professionally (18–22 minutes).

To be honest, preparing a speech of this length while working full-time was not easy.　Between daily responsibilities and limited time for practice,there were many moments when I felt the pressure. But that’s exactly why this project felt meaningful to me —because in real work life, we often have to step up and deliver even when we haven’t had all the preparation time we wish we had.

My speech “100” was built from my real experiences this summer. Reflecting on my work, challenges, and what I learned as a leader, and shaping them into a story to share, gave me many insights.

Of course, in 18–22 minutes, I couldn’t express everything I wanted to. There were many messages I wasn’t able to include. But even so, I truly felt that there is value in challenging ourselvesand doing our best with the time we have.

And turning my past experiences into words like thismade me realize something important:this process becomes a powerful tool for future situations, including job interviews. Because it helps us express not only “what we experienced,”but also “what it meant” and “what we learned.”I know I am still very much a work in progress, but I’m happy to be growing little by little.

Toastmasters offers many opportunities like this —moments to pause, look back, think deeply,and transform our own experiences into meaningful stories. It strengthens not only our speaking skills,but also our ability to think, organize, reflect,and understand ourselves better. For busy professionals, this is truly valuable.

Completing this Level 5 project reminded me again how much Toastmasters contributes to personal growth. I look forward to continuing this journey of learning.

Maho Hummel

President 2025-2026