About a year back, amidst the Covid 19 Pandemic, we decided to start our very own MBA Toastmasters Club. We thought to ourselves, “The bachelor’s toastmaster club is up and running quite successfully so why not start one for the master’s as well?”. But there was one challenge, most of our MBA students are international students and online meetings aren’t as fun, or so we thought.
The idea of joining the MBA club was well received among our students and we felt ever-so-motivated to start it with a bang! Although the primary goal was to help our students enhance their public speaking skills so that they don’t just take advantage of their MBA degree once they graduate but also upgrade their soft skills. The progress so far has been promising, both for our students and for us. With students going all the way up to Division Contest and bagging prizes for being ranked in the Top ¬ amongst many other talented competitors. But it’s been more than just attending bi-weekly meetings, taking up roles, or practicing for the competition. Every member of our club has made new friends, shared funny moments, got to understand each other’s culture, and much more! What we’ve right now isn’t just a talented group of people, but a family, separated by countries but united by heart. Although all of us haven’t met or had dinner together, we look forward to that day, not only to celebrate our success but also to celebrate all the moments we’ve shared together!
I joined the Westford MBA Leaders Toastmasters club back in June 2022, to improve my public speaking and speech presentation skills as I believe I have a lot to learn in this aspect. From the very first meeting, I found it very useful, fun and loved the support system it offered. Throughout my journey, we’ve listened to stories from all around the globe and shared some of our own which have brought us close like a Family! We feel comfortable talking about anything and just being ourselves as it is a safe space where no one is judged. The skills I have learned have been a great addition to my career as I use them in my presentation at work. I highly recommend Westfordians to join our toastmasters club so that you may boost your confidence, improve your public speaking skills, and just make friends with people around the globe!
Wissam Bakri
MBA in Global Business Administration – University of Gloucestershire
I always wanted to enhance my public speaking skills but didn't know where to start. When I received a call from Westford about joining the Toastmasters club, I knew destiny had plans and it was my time to grab the opportunity. When I joined the first meeting, I participated in the table topic session, and I am blessed to say that everyone enjoyed my speech and voted for me. To be honest, I was surprised but the love and support I've received so far have been like they're part of my Family. The journey has been fascinating and I would like to thank Westford for providing students the opportunity to become a part of such programs. I cannot wait to see what more is in store for me and the rest of our toastmaster members in this journey we share together!
Mohammed Emara
MBA in Strategic Management & LeadershipCardiff Metropolitan University
In a short period, I learned a lot from participating in Toastmaster: Public speaking, organizing my speech, using the power of persuasion, and building self-confidence. I remember being very scared during my first speech, the Ice Breaker, but the feedback and support I got from my fellow Toastmasters were incredible. Thank you, Toastmasters, for giving me the right support and I can confidently say that I will become a confident speaker!
Fatima Almaazmi
MBA in Global Business Administration - University of Gloucestershire
