Joyce stepped into her room, her heart still fluttering with excitement from her latest Toastmasters meeting. She carefully placed her backpack on her desk, making sure not to crumple the speech notes tucked inside. As she sat down, her eyes wandered to the colorful doodles scattered across her notebook, each one a testament to her growing confidence and creativity.

Over the past few weeks, Joyce had found herself eagerly anticipating each Toastmasters session. The club had become a sanctuary where her voice was not only heard but celebrated. She remembered the first time she stood up to speak, her knees shaking and her voice barely above a whisper. Now, just a month later, she could feel the difference in herself. The trembling had subsided, replaced by a quiet determination that surprised even her.

“Joyce!” Mdm Leong’s voice called from downstairs. “Have you started on your homework yet?”

Joyce’s shoulders tensed slightly. “Yes, Mama! I’m just organizing my notes,” she replied, her voice steady despite the familiar pang of anxiety.

She turned her attention back to her notebook, flipping through the pages filled with math problems and English essays. Tucked between them were her speech outlines and doodles, hidden from her mother’s scrutinizing gaze. Joyce felt a twinge of guilt for keeping her Toastmasters activities a secret, but the memory of her mother’s skepticism about “extracurricular distractions” kept her silent.

As she worked on her math homework, Joyce found herself incorporating her newfound speaking skills into her problem-solving process. She whispered explanations to herself, breaking down complex equations into simpler terms, just as she had learned to structure her speeches. The numbers, once so daunting, began to make more sense when she approached them like a story she was telling.

Later that evening, as Joyce prepared for bed, she overheard a conversation between her parents.

“I don’t understand,” Mdm Leong was saying, her voice tinged with frustration. “Joyce seems more focused lately, but her math scores aren’t improving as quickly as I’d hoped.”

Joyce’s father’s response was gentle. “Maybe we need to give her more time. She’s trying her best.”

“But Lyn’s mother told me that Lyn’s already moved on to the next level in their math enrichment class,” Mdm Leong sighed. “I just want Joyce to keep up.”

Joyce’s heart sank. She crawled into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin, trying to push away the familiar feelings of inadequacy. But then she remembered Mrs. Ng’s words from their last Toastmasters meeting: “Your voice is your superpower, Joyce. Use it to tell your story, and you’ll find strength you never knew you had.”

Inspired by this memory, Joyce quietly got out of bed and retrieved her notebook. Under the soft glow of her night light, she began to sketch. Her pencil moved swiftly across the paper, bringing to life the characters from her latest speech – a story about a little bird learning to fly. As she drew, she whispered her speech, the words flowing more naturally with each repetition.

The next day at school, Joyce found herself looking forward to the afternoon Toastmasters meeting. As she sat in class, her mind wandered to the speech she had been practicing. Mrs. Ng noticed the faraway look in Joyce’s eyes and gently called her attention back to the lesson.

“Joyce, can you tell us the answer to question five?” Mrs. Ng asked, her voice kind but firm.

Joyce blinked, momentarily flustered. She looked down at her workbook, where alongside the math problem, she had absent-mindedly doodled a small bird. Suddenly, an idea struck her.

“Um, Mrs. Ng,” Joyce began, her voice gaining strength as she spoke. “Can I explain my answer using a story?”

Mrs. Ng’s eyebrows raised in surprise, but she nodded encouragingly. “Of course, Joyce. Go ahead.”

Taking a deep breath, Joyce stood up. “Imagine there are five birds on a branch,” she said, her voice clear and steady. “Two fly away to find food. How many are left? Well, let me tell you about these birds…”

As Joyce wove her simple math problem into a short, engaging story, she noticed her classmates leaning forward, listening intently. Even Nona, who usually looked bored during math class, was smiling. When Joyce finished, the class erupted in applause, and Mrs. Ng beamed with pride.

“Excellent job, Joyce!” Mrs. Ng exclaimed. “That was a creative way to solve the problem. And a wonderful example of how public speaking skills can be applied to other subjects.”

Joyce sat down, her cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and pride. For the first time, she felt like she had something unique to offer in class – something beyond just getting the right answer.

That afternoon, Joyce practically skipped to the Toastmasters meeting. As she entered the room, she was greeted warmly by her fellow club members. Ethan, the club president, gave her a high-five.

“Ready for your speech today, Joyce?” he asked with a grin.

Joyce nodded enthusiastically. “I’ve been practicing all week!”

As the meeting began, Joyce listened attentively to the other speakers, noting their techniques and the way they engaged the audience. When it was her turn, she took a deep breath and walked to the front of the room, her doodle-filled notebook clutched tightly in her hands.

“Good afternoon, fellow Toastmasters,” Joyce began, her voice clear and confident. “Today, I’d like to tell you a story about a little bird named Math-ilda, who was afraid of numbers but learned to soar through the sky of equations.”

As Joyce spoke, she held up her notebook, showing the colorful doodles that illustrated her story. The room was silent, all eyes fixed on her as she wove her tale of Math-ilda’s journey from fear to confidence. When she finished, the applause was thunderous.

“Joyce, that was incredible!” Mrs. Ng exclaimed, her eyes shining with pride. “You’ve come so far in such a short time.”

As the meeting wrapped up, Joyce felt a surge of confidence she had never experienced before. She realized that her doodles and her newfound speaking skills were more than just hobbies – they were tools that could help her in all aspects of her life, including her academics.

On the way home, Mrs. Ng walked with Joyce, discussing her progress.

“You know, Joyce,” Mrs. Ng said thoughtfully, “have you considered using your storytelling skills to help with your studying? It seems to really help you understand and explain concepts.”

Joyce nodded eagerly. “I’ve been trying that with my math homework. It makes the problems feel less scary.”

Mrs. Ng smiled. “That’s wonderful! Maybe we can work on incorporating more of these techniques into our remedial sessions.”

As they reached Joyce’s house, Mrs. Ng’s expression turned serious. “Joyce, have you told your mother about your progress in Toastmasters?”

Joyce’s smile faded slightly. “Not really,” she admitted. “I’m afraid she’ll think it’s distracting me from my studies.”

Mrs. Ng placed a gentle hand on Joyce’s shoulder. “I understand your concern, but I think your mother would be proud of how much you’ve grown. Perhaps it’s time to share this part of yourself with her.”

Joyce nodded slowly, considering Mrs. Ng’s words. As she watched her teacher walk away, she felt a mix of anxiety and determination. She knew that eventually, she would have to bridge the gap between her Toastmasters world and her home life.

That evening, as Joyce sat at her desk, she found herself doodling in the margins of her math workbook again. But this time, instead of random sketches, she was creating visual aids for her next speech – a presentation on how to solve word problems using storytelling techniques.

As she worked, Joyce realized that her passion for public speaking wasn’t just a separate hobby. It was becoming an integral part of who she was, influencing how she approached her studies and how she saw herself. For the first time, she felt like she had discovered something she was truly good at – something that made her unique.

Joyce glanced at her closed bedroom door, thinking about her mother working downstairs. She knew that someday soon, she would have to find the courage to share this part of herself with Mdm Leong. But for now, she turned back to her notebook, losing herself in the joy of creating, speaking, and learning – all rolled into one.

As she put the finishing touches on her latest doodle, Joyce whispered to herself, “I may not be the best at math yet, but I’m becoming the best version of myself.” With that thought, she closed her notebook, a small smile playing on her lips as she looked forward to her next Toastmasters meeting and the challenges it would bring.