Self-Introduction Speech – Emilee Engle

Hello everyone, my name is Emilee Engle and I am a freshman studying English Education. Three words that would describe me are shy, soft-spoken, and timid, so you can imagine that I am not that excited about giving this speech. I know like a lot of college students, I would like to make some new friends and learning about one another is a great way to do that. This speech is all about me and who knows me better than myself?

Like most people, I have had to deal with many ups and downs throughout my life. Today I will be talking about my early childhood, what it was like to live with my grandparents, and the struggles I faced that led me where I am today. To start off, I have lived in Centerville, Indiana my entire life. My parents were very young when I was born so I developed a very close relationship with my grandparents. I lived with my mom, stepfather, little sister, and brother until I was in third grade. My little sister was born with Williams Syndrome and was a lot to handle at times because of all of her medical issues. Because of this, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents and when my mom decided to move, I made the decision to stay with them in my hometown. You may be thinking that living with your grandparents sounds boring, but I was never bored.

Both my grandparents had lots of energy and made sure to be involved in every way they could. They always made sure to support me in everything that I decided to do. Since I was a shy kid, my grandparents made sure I got involved in plenty of activities such as 4-H, Girl Scouts, Softball, and band. I developed most of my hobbies because of my grandmother like reading, writing, basket-making, and drawing. I also gained a love for traveling as my grandparents loved to travel and always took me with them. I also took a seventeen-day Europe trip with my girl scout troop and grandmother. Music became a big part of my life because of my experience playing the clarinet in band and although I no longer play, I still enjoy classical music. My grandparents had high expectations for me when it came to school and always expected me to get a B or better in all my classes. I am so glad they did as it opened so many opportunities for me and It made me a more hard-working person. Life was really good for me until I reached high school, that’s when things started to change.

I battled low self-esteem and depression throughout high school and it really affected my confidence. While I was battling my own emotional turmoil, my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer my freshman year. Joining sports helped me form some new friendships so that I wasn’t so lonely. It also gave me a good support system that helped me through some tough times. I played softball, golf, and bowling. During my junior year of high school, my mother got diagnosed with lung cancer, and six months later she passed away. This was quite a shock because she had never smoked or done drugs and didn’t drink. Right before my first semester of college my grandfather passed away from cancer after a four-year battle. I had a lot of trouble getting through the grieving process and learning to cope with the changes in my life, but I am slowly working through it.

That brings me to where I am today, learning to carry on with my life while the people I love are missing from it. Learning to navigate the ups and downs of my life has been no easy task but I am learning to cope every day. I was lucky to be able to have such a close relationship with my grandparents and I am so happy that they raised me. My struggles in high school were not easy but I know everyone in life had their own personal battles they have to fight. I know that everything happens for a reason and I am ready to live my life in a way that would make my mother and grandfather proud. Despite my struggles, I am excited to see where life takes me.