DuBOIS, Pa. — The DuBois Toastmasters Club, which calls Penn State DuBois home, received its full charter during the spring 2024 semester.

Toastmasters International, which is currently celebrating its 100-year anniversary, is a nonprofit educational organization that builds confidence and teaches public speaking skills through a worldwide network of clubs that meet online and in person. In a supportive community or corporate environment, members develop their leadership skills, prepare and deliver speeches, respond to impromptu questions, and give and receive constructive feedback.

“I have been a Toastmaster since 2001 and became a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) in July 2022,” said Jungwoo Ryoo, chancellor and chief academic officer at Penn State DuBois. “When I started my current position at Penn State DuBois, one of my community outreach aspirations that is near and dear to me was to establish a DuBois Toastmasters Club as a gift to our outstanding community. I soon learned that we had like-minded people at our campus, such as Robin Gill, senior instructional designer and adjunct faculty in communications, and Mary Mino, associate professor of communication arts and sciences and associate chief academic officer. I am so proud that we all hung in there for over a year, since April 2023, to have our club chartered. The process took lots of team effort and tested our leadership skills, which is in line with the Toastmasters tag line that says, ‘Where leaders are made.’”

Throughout the 2023-24 academic year, demonstration meetings were held to organize the local club and welcome interested members into the group. After completing all the requirements, Toastmasters International officially chartered the club on April 1.

“Our success in chartering a Toastmasters club has great meaning to me,” said Gill. “This has been a special goal of mine for several years and it feels outstanding to achieve it this year.”

The DuBois Toastmasters Club meets the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 5 p.m. The meetings are held in Room 182 of the Smeal Building on the DuBois campus. The meetings also are available through Zoom for members and guests to attend virtually. The club is open to all interested individuals and the invitation is always open for anyone to attend a meeting to experience the Toastmaster Club for themselves.

“Our vision for the club is to provide individuals at our campus and the greater campus community with a rich environment to grow in leadership and speaking skills, as well as to create a natural opportunity to network,” Gill said.

With the club’s chartering process now completed, Ryoo expressed gratitude to several individuals who assisted the club along their journey.

“I would like to thank Fred Vornbrock, Toastmasters International District 13, Club Growth Director, and MaryEllen Vornbrock, Division C Director, who dedicated many hours to helping us get off the ground,” said Ryoo. “I also want to thank our club sponsor, Diane Brown, DTM, and club mentors Angela Rogers, DTM, and Amy Hernandez.”

Click here for more information or to submit questions to the club.