Stephen Wallis,
Scholarship Recipient
Our goal is to provide scholarships to promising leaders such as members of the armed forces, teachers, nonprofit directors, clergy, students and other young professionals from across the country. The letter below from one our of scholarship recipients...
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Dear Reid,
I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation for the profoundly meaningful experience I gained from attending The Buckley School of Public Speaking’s Executive Seminar.
You may recall that I am a public school principal who took over a school in crisis, suffering from the typical pathologies associated with schools servicing a large number of disadvantaged students.....low test scores, poor morale, racial strife, debt-laden, violence and vandalism, little to no parent involvement, no business partnerships, and inconsistent solid teaching practices. I worked in collaboration with the students, parents, teachers, and unions to effect a positive change in the environment. We have since strengthened instruction and learning, increased test scores, improved communication with the public, rid the school of rampant disrespect and disruptive behavior, increased PTA rolls to several hundred members, and built 30 business-education partnerships, along the way, improving the teaching-learning environment dramatically. Today we are a National School of Excellence.
I found that you and your staff provided a magnificent fountain of knowledge, insight, and grasp of what it means to capture an audience. Frankly, I felt that I had a solid enough stand-alone presentation; indeed, folks expressed their appreciation for my insight and passion. However, you and your staff---smart, humble, equally passionate about what they do, always willing to extend a hand and offer suggestions--clearly had an impact on my performance, improving my confidence and presentation skills. I enjoyed the actual hands-on presentations in which we were all engaged, from the very afternoon we started. It is easy to understand why a number of people would find such activities intimidating, and it was clear that a number of us felt a degree of nervousness. Still, accompanying those feelings was excitement and the feeling that we were in good hands, learning, studying, and presenting under a watchful, caring, compassionate and professional staff.
I want you to know that I think about the rich, detailed, inspiring insights that you individually--and your staff collectively--imbued in me and my classmates. Indeed, it is my intention to continue improving my communication effectiveness by remembering the interactive feedback and practicing those specific skills picked up in Camden. What I learned and was able to practice at the Buckley School will go a long way, I am certain, in perfecting what I believe to be an important message to this country’s communities. Indeed, in my thirty-five years of teaching and public school administration, the Executive Seminar has proven to be the singularly most exceptional professional development experience of my personal and professional life.
Sincerely,
C. Stephen Wallis
Principal, Harper’s Choice Middle School,
Columbia, MD