BUMC Toastmasters Club Chapter Inaugurated
The Boston University Medical Campus (BUMC) has formally established a chapter of Toastmasters International. More than 30 faculty, staff and students attended the charter celebration on Thursday, Jan. 19.
Toastmasters is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations. “We are excited to sponsor this opportunity for the medical campus,” explained Yolanta Kovalko, administrative manager, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, BUSM. “We have 24 members and welcome others interested in improving their public speaking and leadership skills.”
The club’s diverse membership includes 19 women and five men. Members hail from Uganda, South Korea, Tunisia, Egypt, Venezuela, Canada, Poland, Turkey, Nigeria and the U.S. The majority of members are affiliated with the BU School of Medicine, Schools of Public Health, and Dental Medicine and two are from BMC.
“One of the major goals of BUMC Toastmasters is to help members to find their voices and to learn how to lead. Choosing words that clearly express ideas, motivate and inspire people to exceed their expectations, is another goal of our group,” explained Kovalko.
Most BUMC Toastmasters meetings are held 5-6:15 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of each month at the School of Medicine room L-109A/B. Prospective members are encouraged to “sample” a meeting without commitment. For more information, please contact Yolanta Kovalko at Yolanta@bu.edu , 638-5244.