The Initial Days
A few years ago, one fine evening at my college, I attended a Toastmasters meeting for the first time. Relatively unknown to what Toastmasters was or how it worked, I had simply tagged along out of curiosity. During the meeting a young lady stepped up to the front and began speaking on a topic, "Reincarnation". That instantly caught my attention. The speech was about re-defining her personality from her childhood to the present. It was a mesmerizing speech and at the end there was a lot of applause. That speaker was Sanskriti Acharya. We study at the same college, though she was a year senior to me.
A few months later, I joined the Presidential Toastmasters Club. For those unfamiliar, Toastmasters Club is a global platform that helps people develop their public speaking and leadership skills through structured speeches, impromptu speaking sessions, and constructive evaluations. Members prepare speeches under different projects that aim to refine everything from storytelling to persuasion.
Though Sanskriti appeared calm and composed that day, the truth is, and I discovered this later, public speaking didn't come easily to her. Whenever I'd ask, "When's your next speech, Sanskriti?", she'd give me a nervous smile and say, "Very soon". It was only after much inner struggle that she gathered the courage to step up again, she revealed later.
About a year later, she gave a memorable speech titled "Deja Vu." This wasn't just a one-time performance. Sanskriti took the same speech to various Toastmasters clubs, where she received feedback each time she delivered the speech. Through this, she began mastering the essentials of public speaking: vocal variety, body language, maintaining eye contact, engaging the audience, and crafting impactful content, outside of the comfort zone of her club. Watching her evolve, I realized that repeating and refining the same piece can sometimes teach us more than preparing something entirely new.
But, Sanskriti didn't confine herself to Toastmasters only. In 2023, our college, Presidential Graduate School, offered an opportunity to participate in a national public speaking event. Sanskriti and I entered the Talking Titans competition. That year, she only cleared the initial rounds, but it was just the beginning of her journey. Determined, she tried again the following year and made it to the top 15 speakers from all over Nepal.
Facing Downs and Bouncing Back
However Sanskriti's public speaking journey took a downturn when once while delivering her speech she went completely blank on stage. Her confidence shaken she took a break from attending Club meetings.
Months later, she found the grit to bounce back even stronger. Sanskriti began taking close mentorship from Toastmasters Prajwol Tamrakar and Shubhanjan Poudel, received feedback from many people, and kept pushing beyond her comfort zone.
When contest season came around, she was hesitant at first. But with encouragement from all of us, she finally gathered the courage to sign up and give her speech. After winning the club contest, a competition held within a Toastmasters club where members compete with prepared speeches, she decided to challenge herself further. She changed the content of her speech in a way that she wasn't entirely uncomfortable speaking about and competed at the Area and Division levels, where she emerged victorious. I was a silent spectator to all her struggles and had inadvertently turned into one of her biggest cheerleaders. I could see her evolve not just as a speaker, but also as a person.
Sanskriti Takes a Leap
Then, Sanskriti took a leap that many could only dream of. She flew from Nepal to Gurgaon, India, to compete at ORATION 2025, the annual District 41 Toastmasters Conference. At ORATION, Sanskriti noticed other contestants using props to make their speeches stand out. Right then, she decided to improvise. She grabbed a simple bottle of mineral water and used it as a dumbbell to bring her point to life. That small last-minute change made all the difference, and it created an impact that the audience remembered. Her efforts paid off. Sanskriti went on to win the District championship contest in India overcoming stiff competition.
Later, she told me, "I made sure I didn't panic at any cost."
Moments before going on stage, she took three deep breaths, centered herself, and let the whole atmosphere support her calm. "The biggest thing I learned," she said, "was to adapt to the environment, create an impact, and not burn myself out. That's exactly what I did."
From District 41 onto the World Championship of Public Speaking
The best was yet to come. Post this historic win, she went onto qualify for the Regional rounds where from among top contestants of the Region, and based on the video of her winning speech at District 41 she was one of the top two to qualify for the Semi-Finals of the world Championship of Public Speaking. Sanskriti will be traveling to Philadephia in the United States on August 20 to compete where a total of 28 contestants from 14 regions across the world will congregate at this grand spectacle.
Moments of Reflection for Me
I've had the good fortune to closely observe her progress over the years. One thing stayed consistent throughout her journey. Every time Sanskriti won a contest, she would text me right away asking, "Can you give me the feedback for today's speech?" It was her way of grounding herself and making sure she would get diverse perspectives. Looking back, I realise that Sanskriti's journey is not simply her own. It mirrors what so many of us experience in our battles with fear and self-doubt.
Watching her grow from someone who once hesitated to sign up for a small club speech to standing on an international stage made me realise that success isn't just about talent. It's about having the courage to start, working on your instincts, and the openness to learn from every step.
So the next time you doubt your abilities or shy away from an opportunity, remind yourself that your potential is far greater than you think.
