I EARNED (not being given) my 2nd Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) Award!

In the digital era, I EARNED (not being given) my 2nd Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award which represents the highest level of educational achievement in Toastmasters! Since 1924, less than 1% of all Toastmasters in the world ever finished their DTM requirements.

From 2015, being shy, starting a sentence with suddenly blushed face, speaking with the accent heavy broken English, I started my Toastmasters journey…

It is a challenge and takes courage, persistence, and resilience to hang on there and aim for my personal goal of DTM. But most importantly, I learned the Toastmasters value “Integrity, Respect, Service, Excellence” by heart. Because if you don’t keep a bigger picture and scope in mind, it is hard to insist on and sustain your personal goal. I see so many people gave up.

Especially during the past 2 years in Pandemic, some people lost family, friends. The worst, some lost interests, dreams, and hopes. Some people turn to isolate themselves and wait for “back to normal”.

Kudos to the Toastmasters members who strive themselves to invest in continuous personal development and growth. Kudos to the volunteer colleagues and leaders who dare to take the challenge to embrace whatever obstacles are in front, to lead the team, and make positive influences and impacts on others. Inspiring others and being inspired is the greatest privilege and advantage of taking this Toastmasters leadership role.

These accomplishments have given me a greater perspective of the value of being a good communicator and an effective leader.

Statistics Fun Facts: based on ALUMNI MEMBER SURVEY - July 2021:

• 94% Toastmasters helped alumni improve their public speaking skills
• Members who met their goals stayed 10.84 years
• 59.15% Employed Full-time
• 56.6% are Multilingual
• 78.1% Bachelor's Degree or Higher (July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021)