TWU launches student chapter of Toastmasters International

April 11, 2022 – DENTON – The Center for Student Leadership at Texas Woman’s University is launching a student chapter of Toastmasters International, an educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs.

The chapter is open to all TWU students, and recruitment is currently underway. Toastmasters requires a minimum of 20 members before a chapter can officially be chartered, but pre-chapter meetings are taking place. During the academic year, the group plans to meet the first and third Tuesdays at 5 p.m. in Old Main Building 257. The meetings will be offered in a hybrid format so commuters and students on the Dallas and Houston campuses can also participate. Over the summer, the group will meet virtually on Tuesday, May 17, Tuesday, June 21, and Tuesday, July 26, at 5 p.m. Interested students can email Lawrencina Mason Oramalu, advisor, at loramalu@twu.edu to learn how to join and to receive the link for the virtual meetings.

Although TWU previously offered a Toastmasters club on campus to staff and community members, this new club will be geared towards students and designed to provide a space for them to not only work on their communication skills, but also to develop their confidence and leadership skills.

By being members of the student chapter of Toastmasters, students will not only have an opportunity to attend regular meetings, but they will also be able to select a Toastmasters learning pathway, which will allow them to “build up to 300 unique competencies.” Toastmasters offers 11 pathways including:

1. Dynamic Leadership
2. Effective Coaching
3. Engaging Humor
4. Innovative Planning
5. Leadership Development
6. Motivational Strategies
7. Persuasive Influence
8. Presentation Mastery
9. Strategic Relationships
10. Team Collaboration
11. Visionary Communication

Providing students the opportunity to learn and develop communication skills, is not only a primary goal of the Center for Student Leadership’s new L.E.A.D.E.R.S.H.I.P. framework, but is also one of the National Association of College and Employers (NACE) career readiness competencies.

For more information about the new TWU student chapter of Toastmasters, please contact Lawrencina Mason Oramalu, advisor, at loramalu@twu.edu or Jibu Joyeuse, chapter president, at jjoyeuse@twu.edu.

The Center for Student Leadership is a program of the Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership at Texas Woman’s University. The institute is dedicated to preparing more women to take on successful roles in business and public service. Its three specialized centers ensure women have the education to establish careers as successful C-suite executives, the skills for building entrepreneurial businesses and the framework needed to run for public office.