The Official magazine Of The naTiOnal SpeakerS aSSOciaTiOn • www.nSaSpeaker.Org

MAKING A

STRONG IMPACT

Create Content in MinutesPAGE 36

The INSPIR

ATIONAL

Issue

December 2015THE ART AND BUSINESS OF SPEAKING

LEFT TO TELL:Q&A WITH SURVIVOR IMMACULÉE ILIBAGIZA

DECONSTRUCTING AN

NSA KEYNOTE

“BEING KELSEY”TURNING WEAKNESSES INTO STRENGTHS

MEET THE 2015 NSA FOUNDATIONSCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

VOICES OF COURAGE:CHILDREN SPEAK OUT

NSA YOUTH PROGRAMTRANSFORMS LIVES

December 2015 | SPEAKER | 25

Meet the

2015NSA FouNdAtioNScholArShip recipieNtS

Founded in 1989, the nSa foundation & Scholarship fund provides financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships andother help to college students and graduate students who aspire to be professional speakers—as well as the children ofnSa members who are majoring in speech or communications.

Since the program's inception, the foundation has awarded approximately$400,000 in scholarships to about 100 individuals.

it’s time to meet the 2015 winners: lacy bentley, isabella curtoni, mel Depaoli, richard Jarvis, Vanjelis ngwa and parker Swindling. These fantas-tic speakers were chosen based on academic achievement, financial need,their commitment to the profession and their dedication to using theirabilities in positive ways.

To make a tax-deductible donation to the NSA Foundation, contact NSA at (480)968-2552, visit NSAspeaker.org or mail your donation to: NSA, 1500 S. Priest Drive,Tempe, AZ 85281. We appreciate your continued support.

December 2015 | SPEAKER | 29

Whether he’s competing in atriathlon, pursuing his MBAor launching a business,Rich Jarvis is a person who

goes the distance. A serial entrepreneur,Rich has started six businesses in hiscareer and uses his insights to helpmotivate people and companies toreach their desired goals. As a youngfarm boy from Idaho, he experiencedfirsthand “the law of the harvest,” hesays. He learned early in life that greatsatisfaction was derived from workinghard and watching the fruit of hislabors grow.

What attracts you to public speaking?Throughout my life I’ve admired thosewho would connect individually withtheir audience and have an influencefor good.

What topics do you speak about?I speak about reaching desired out-comes. Imagine a motivational experi-ence that not only awakened the firewithin to reach your potential, but gaveyou the tools and strategies to use rightnow to make it a reality. I love watch-ing the light of inspiration and endlesspossibility live and breathe through the audience.

What motivated you to pursueyour MBA?Learning for me is a lifelong endeavorthat I never seem to tire from. Althoughfilling the gaps in my professional edu-cation is a high priority, the motivationto get my Executive MBA was moreabout developing close working rela-tionships. This has been the highlight ofmy graduate experience by far.

Can you talk about ZenMasters?ZenMasters is a student-run executivedevelopment organization that I startedfor the purpose of providing opportu-nity to practice communication and gainimmediate valuable peer feedback in asafe environment. We have discussed

and practiced various topics, includingdelivery, non-verbal communication,voice inflection and executive presence.

How do you nurture yourentrepreneurial spirit while avoiding burnout?Gaining perspective on my priorities inlife and consciously creating that bal-ance has been essential in nurturing theentrepreneurial spirit and avoidingburnout. I haven’t always been good atthis and have learned through manytough lessons. I am grateful for thetimes adversity has knocked on mydoor, for it is these hard experiencesthat have made me into the person I am today.

Of what are you most proud? First, without question, I am mostproud of my family—the journey wehave experienced together and who weare. Some of my best friends in theworld are my bride and five children.Watching each of them blossom hasbeen the highlight of my life. Second isthe satisfaction of competing in manyhalf-distance Ironman races and train-ing as a triathlete.

RICHARD D. JARVIS IIEarl Nightingale Scholarship

SChool: Boise State University

StatuS: Graduate Student (MBA)

FoCuS: Business