The U.Va. Speaking Center returned this fall, offering its services to University students who want to improve their public speaking ability. Though the Center is independent of the University, students now have the ability to leverage its services alongside an array of other career and academic preparation tools, including the Writing Center.
Students can receive one-on-one speaking consultations, participate in workshops and attend speaker events for the Center to achieve its mission of assisting University students with their communication and oratorical skills. The Center is a free resource available to all undergraduate University students that was established in 2020 by Class of 2022 alumnus Chris Obolensky.
Third-year College student Jolina Dong reopened the Center last spring after discovering it was inactive following Obolensky’s graduation. While in search of public speaking resources to help with an audition during her second year, Dong discovered the Center, but it was only when she showed up for her appointment that she realized the Center had ceased its operations. Dong reached out to the only phone number on the website, and it took her to Obolensky…