Post #2 Katherine Avila
🗳️ Elections Matter: More Than Just Politics!
Public Speaking Vlog #2 | My Experience, What I Learned, and Everything in Between! 🇺🇸✨
Another Project, Another Experience! 🎤
And just like that, another project is officially done in my Public Speaking class! This time, we worked on a project called "Elections Matter," and honestly, it was a pretty interesting experience.
When you hear the word elections, you probably think about voting, political parties, or presidential candidates. But what about the economy, education, and immigration? These are all topics that affect our everyday lives, whether we pay attention to politics or not.
For this project, our class was divided into four groups, each covering a different topic:
The Electorate and the Election Process 🗳️
Education Policies 📚
Economy 💸
Immigration Policies 🌎
My group was assigned the Economy, and although preparing for another group presentation meant more research, organizing, and practicing, I actually enjoyed learning how everything connects.
Of course, no group project would be complete without a little stress! 😂
When you realize another group project means another group chat, another deadline, and another presentation. 😂
💸 Group 3: The Economy — Our Time to Shine!
Since my group was responsible for the Economy, we had to explain how it has developed over time, how major events have affected it, and why it matters today.
My portion of the presentation focused on the history and overview of the U.S. economy. I discussed major historical events and how they shaped the economy we know today.
Something I found interesting was seeing how much the economy has changed throughout history. Learning about events like the Great Depression and more recent periods of inflation helped me understand that economic challenges are nothing new.
But let's be real, as a college student, I don't need a history lesson to know things are expensive nowadays! 😂 Between groceries, gas, school expenses, and everyday necessities, it feels like money disappears before we even get to enjoy it.
Me going to the store for three things and somehow spending $50. 💀💸
What I enjoyed most about preparing for this presentation was realizing that the economy isn't just about numbers, graphs, or financial terms. It affects our opportunities, the jobs we pursue, and the choices we make every day.
Working with my classmates also reminded me how important communication and teamwork are. Between preparing slides, organizing our information, and figuring out who would present what, we had to work together to make sure everything flowed smoothly.
Why I included this video: It connects to our presentation and helps explain why the prices of everyday necessities change.😖
🗳️ The Electorate and the Election Process — Your Vote, Your Voice!
Another group presented on the Electorate and the Election Process.
This presentation focused on how elections work and the role citizens have in participating in democracy.
One thing this topic made me realize is that voting is about more than showing up on Election Day and choosing a candidate. Understanding the process and researching the issues are also important.
As young adults, I feel like it's easy to get caught up in our everyday routines. Between school, work, and personal responsibilities, politics might not always be at the top of our minds.
However, this presentation reminded me that government decisions can affect our lives even when we're not actively thinking about them.
One of my biggest takeaways was that being informed matters. Regardless of someone's political opinions, taking time to understand the election process can help them make their own decisions.
📚 Education Policies — This One Hits Close to Home!
Out of all the topics, Education Policies was one I could personally relate to as a college student.
We're constantly thinking about assignments, exams, tuition, financial aid, and what we're going to do after graduation. Sometimes, just keeping up with school feels like a full-time job!
The presentation made me think about how much educational policies can influence students' opportunities.
For example, financial aid and access to educational resources can play an important role in whether someone is able to continue their education.
Since I plan to continue studying and pursue a career in nursing, education is something I take seriously. I've realized that getting a degree requires more than just attending classes. It takes dedication, time, and financial planning.
It also reminded me that not everyone has the same educational opportunities, which makes access to resources and support especially important.
This topic was a good reminder that policies made at different levels of government can eventually affect students sitting in classrooms just like ours.
🌎 Immigration Policies — A Topic Close to Our Community
The final topic was Immigration Policies.
Living in Miami, this is a topic that feels especially relevant because our community is made up of people from so many different countries, cultures, and backgrounds.
Immigration is something we hear about frequently in the news, but sometimes we forget that behind the policies and discussions are real people and families.
This presentation encouraged me to think about how immigration policies can affect families, employment, education, and communities.
I also think this is one of those topics where it's important to listen to different perspectives. Not everyone has the same experiences, and understanding those differences can help us approach conversations with more respect.
Living in a city as diverse as Miami reminds me how connected our communities really are. 🌎❤️
Something I appreciated about learning this topic was being reminded that political discussions aren't always just about laws or government decisions. They're also about how those decisions affect everyday life.
🎤 Watching Everyone Present — We All Survived!
Aside from the actual topics, one of my favorite parts of this project was getting to watch everyone present.
It's funny because when you're sitting in the audience, presentations can look so simple. But once you're the person standing in front of the class, it's a completely different story!
One thing I've learned throughout this course is that everyone has their own public speaking style.
Some classmates are naturally confident, while others might be a little nervous. But what matters is being able to communicate your message effectively.
I also noticed how much visual aids, organization, and delivery can influence a presentation. When information is explained clearly and supported with interesting visuals, it's much easier to stay engaged.
As someone who also had to prepare and present, I could appreciate the work each group put into its topic.
Why I included this video: It relates to one of the biggest skills we're all working on throughout this course: becoming more confident speakers.
💭 What Did I Actually Learn?
Looking back at this project, I think my biggest takeaway is that elections and government policies are connected to so many parts of our lives.
Before this assignment, I wouldn't necessarily have grouped education, immigration, the economy, and voting together. But after watching everyone's presentations, I started to understand how connected they really are.
Education influences our future careers, the economy affects our financial stability, immigration policies affect our communities, and elections are one way citizens participate in decisions about these issues.
I also learned that sometimes the best way to understand a topic is to research it yourself and then try to explain it to someone else.
On top of everything we learned about elections, this project gave us another chance to practice teamwork, organization, and public speaking.
And even though presentations can be nerve-racking, I feel like every project gives us a little more experience and helps us improve.
✨ Final Thoughts: Elections Matter, and So Does Finding Your Voice!
Overall, I enjoyed this project because it pushed us to learn about subjects that go beyond the classroom.
It was interesting to research the economy with my group and then listen to my classmates explain the other topics.
I think one of the most valuable parts of college is being exposed to information and perspectives that make you think differently or encourage you to learn something new.
This experience reminded me that being informed doesn't necessarily mean knowing everything about politics. Sometimes it starts with being curious, asking questions, and making an effort to understand what's happening around us.
And as for the public speaking part? Well, I can officially say we survived another presentation! 😂
Another project completed, more knowledge gained, and one more step toward becoming a confident public speaker! 🎤💗
Until the next vlog! ✨
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