I’ve always loved public speaking—it is a hobby that has defined much of my high school experience and inspired me to pursue a career in Law and Public Policy. While attending the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships (WIDPSC), I became aware of Vidolo, a multinational charity dedicated to providing underprivileged children with access to public speaking opportunities. I approached Vidolo’s founder with a proposal to establish a branch in Thailand. As CEO of the national branch, I recruited the Thai executive team, prepared workshop presentations, and liaised with venues and sponsors. Although our long-term goal is to host continuous monthly public speaking workshops in Thailand, the primary objective of this CAS project was to successfully launch our first workshop.

I felt highly motivated when starting Vidolo. As the sole member of the Thai branch in the beginning, I had considerable autonomy in managing my time and setting priorities. Vidolo was especially meaningful because it allowed me to provide others with opportunities that had positively influenced my own life. However, as the project progressed, I found it increasingly difficult to balance Vidolo with my other commitments. As the initial excitement faded, maintaining momentum became a challenge.

Later in the project, I also grew frustrated with the length of our weekly meetings. They often lasted longer than necessary and lacked clear task allocation. I raised these concerns with both the Thailand branch and members of the wider organization. To address the issue, we began creating structured agendas before each meeting to ensure discussions remained focused and productive. This change helped us stay on track, work more efficiently, and renewed some of my enthusiasm for the project, as I could clearly see both our progress and future goals.

Most rewarding of all was being able to organize our first workshops and witness the impact they had on students. Seeing participants improve their ability to structure speeches and articulate their ideas effectively felt like a full-circle moment. It reminded me why I started the project in the first place and reinforced my belief in the power of public speaking as a tool for personal growth and empowerment.