十年了，總算達成了DTM (Distinguished Toastmasters;傑出演講會員)的成就。從2006年初還在美國念博士班時期，有幸加入了國際英語演講會(Toastmasters)。之後不管我在那個城市，總會找1-2個分會來持續TM的旅程。很感恩自己在學生年代就有這樣的機會，回台灣後也和幾個朋友在嘉義大學成立了英語演講社，希望能提供學生們一個有效練習溝講及領導力的環境。雖然常常覺得自己忙演講會的事又點不誤正業，不過看到學生們的成長還是覺得很值得。感謝一路上幫助我的朋友們，繼續朝向第二個DTM前進。

Finally, I am a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM)!! In January 2006 when I was still a PhD student at Texas Tech, I was invited by Dr. Wu 吳志康 to join a meeting of Articulate Toastmasters in Lubbock. I joined the club before I walked out the room that day and it literally changed my life. For the past 10 years, I moved from Texas to Florida, then back to Texas and finally back to Taiwan. It doesn’t matter where I lived, I always managed to find a club or

two to join and I have been a member of 6 different clubs since then. I have learned so much from Toastmasters not only in communication but also how to be a good leader. I also made friends with a lot of awesome people who are committed in learning and improving. To pay back for what I have benefited from Toastmasters, I also chartered a campus Toastmasters with couple friends at the National Chiayi University where I am teaching now. Thanks to all the mentors and friends who helped me along the way, especially Jana and Bob Robert E. Barnhill III. Miss you a lot. Well, it is been a long journey and I am on my way to the 2nd DTM.

Ten years!! Finally, I am a Distinguished Toastmaster. It does seem that it takes forever to jump through all the hoops to get the designation. However, through these years, I feel more and more confident that I have chosen the right track in my life.

I first heard Toastmasters when I was a college student in Taipei. However, it was never important enough for me to come up with the courage to actually visit a club. In January 2006, when I was a PhD student at Texas Tech University, I was invited by Dr. Kenny Wu to join a meeting of Articulate Toastmasters in Lubbock, Texas. I was very impressed and I joined the club before I walked out the room. And it literally changed my life. Shortly I introduced Toastmasters to my wife Karla Chen, who was not even my girlfriend yet at the time, and she also joined the club.

For the past 10 years, Toastmasters have become part of our lives. We’ve never taken a trip more than a week so that we wouldn’t miss the weekly meeting. We practiced with each other and evaluated our speeches in turn. Every time when one of us feels like quitting, the other would always be right there to support. In these 10 years, we moved from Texas to Florida, then back to Texas and finally back to Taiwan. It doesn’t matter where we lived, we always managed to find a club or two to join and we have been members of 7 different clubs since then.

I have learned so much from Toastmasters, not only in communication but also how to be a better leader. It helped me tremendously on how I give lecture as a teacher, and how to evaluate myself to become better. I also made friends with a lot of awesome people who are committed in learning and improving.

I didn’t realize how much I have benefited from the training through Toastmasters until I graduated and stepped into the real world. To pay back for how fortunate I was to experience Toastmasters when I was still a student at school, I chartered a campus Toastmasters club with couple friends at the National Chiayi University where I am teaching now. Since the charter of the NCYU Toastmasters Club, we have earned 3 consecutive Distinguished Club Awards (one Select and two President Awards). And you bet it is addictive to see the growth in students and see the confident in their eyes.

Thanks to all the mentors and friends who helped me along the way. I want to express my gratitude especially to Jana and Bob Barnhill, both past Toastmasters International Presidents, for being my role models and mentors. Well, it is been a long journey and I am on my way to my 2nd DTM.