On Oct. 9. at the Community Commons Gallery, IGNITE held a public speaking workshop with special guest Selene Figueroa, a former alum of the University of Denver and the Director of Donor Relations at the Metropolitan State University of Denver. 

Figueroa was a part of the class of 2018 and graduated with a degree in law and society. Alongside that, she studied communications and gender and women studies. 

“DU connected me with a lot of the communities I’m still involved with; one of them is actually the Denver Urban Debate League; it’s housed in the law school across the street. They gave me the ability to take a step back and encouraged me that the path that I knew was not the only path and opened up those doors for me,” Figeroa said. 

She felt encouraged to host this event because she struggled with finding community at the University of Denver but found it within the debate team and at the Women’s College. She felt the need to pass the skills she learned along to the next generation. She also wants to give back to her community. 

President Jimena Sanchez, a fourth-year majoring in political science, added, “Public speaking is a very important skill – not just in politics but wherever you choose to go into. I think that being able to get your point across is obviously very important but I think it will help you create the change you want to create.” 

Photo credit: Theodora Boateng

Figueroa highly emphasizes thinking of oneself in a positive light when it comes to overcoming stage fright and also to feminine self-esteem. She asked the attendees to stand up and do a “Power Pose” (the attendees altogether did a “Wonder Woman” pose) and affirmations such as “I deserve to be here,” and “I’m allowed to take up space,” to help develop a sense of value and to ground identity. 

She continued to address the importance of knowing who you are and your value as a person. She spoke about not limiting oneself when it comes to applying for jobs, as women are more likely to back away from jobs if they feel they don’t meet the qualifications. To lessen this commonality, she expressed that it is important to hype your peers up and show them the qualifications they don’t normally see in themselves so that one day, they eventually will. 

Figueroa spoke about the concept of a growth mindset and encouraged one to strive to be the values they hold (ex. “I am successful,” “I am loved”). She also mentioned the importance of giving your brain support when you feel like you’ve failed. You can do this via journaling, encouraging notes or power poses.

Photo credit: Theodora Boateng

Towards the end of the event, attendees practiced elevator pitches about their identities (their name, major and how their degree will impact their journeys) and Figueroa helped polish the pitches by suggesting a tone of sureness when speaking and not shying away from mentioning achievements as they showcase strong skills.

Figueroa encourages those who could not attend to “…own their value.”

“See yourself the way the person who loves you most in the world sees you and believe them. We often talk about ourselves in ways that are negative… but what you are is a lot and is worthy of taking of space and is worthy of being here ” Figueroa said. 

Photo credit: Theodora Boateng

IGNITE is a chapter of a national organization that aims to increase women’s participation in politics and encourages women to go after leadership positions. A goal that they have for this year is to raise awareness of why it’s important to vote and participate in the system, especially with this upcoming election. 

“For IGNITE’s mission of empowering women’s voices and uplifting marginalized communities in large-scale communities, how can you be empowered if you don’t know how to share your voice?” Vice President Audrey Ralphs, a fourth-year double majoring in political science and critical race and ethnic studies, said. 

IGNITE builds its members’ skills and confidence in the fall quarter to help them feel empowered to speak in different spaces. While IGNITE centers on the voices of women, trans-women and those who identify as non-binary are also very much welcomed in the club. 

For more information on IGNITE and upcoming activities, check out its Instagram, Crimson Connect and national organization pages!