Public speaking is a valuable asset that students can often find to be daunting and anxiety inducing. To combat this, students created GOATx, a student-led club that is catered to providing opportunities for public speaking and help improve the ability to confidently communicate their arguments and thoughts to an audience 

“I think it (public speaking) is incorporated in almost every job and everything going forward,” GOATx Vice President Timothy Hollenbeck said.  Inspired by a TEDx format, GOATx’s mission is to cultivate and broaden SEU student’s public speaking skills via events, workshops and sessions featuring professional guest speakers. 

The idea for GOATx came to junior Cressida Rodriguez, the organization’s current president, during last year’s spring break after the realization that there wasn’t an on-campus organization focused on public speaking. 

“I wanted to give our students something they could just feel safe to interact with informally while also sneaking in that public speaking factor by just talking to others,” Rodriguez said. “I also wanted to bring in professionals to tell us how they use public speaking in their roles.” 

GOATx first became a student organization in the fall of 2025. The organization held its first event of the spring semester on Jan. 29. The event, titled “Vision and Vibe,” served as a vision board workshop designed to get students thinking about what they want out of the new year and also create a space for meeting prospective  members. Students and officers spent the evening working with provided tools, enjoying free food and having conversations that foster connection. 

“Let’s just have fun, talk to others … making connections is exactly what I wanted” Rodriguez said..

They plan to achieve their goals via low stakes informal events like “Vision and Vibe,” where students can connect with each other and practice talking to new people, while also adding in a mix of professional events with guest speakers that have valuable experience for more guided learning. 

“GOATx can be beneficial to all sorts of students,” GOATx social media officer Abigail Hall said. “Not only can it bring our community closer through small events, but it can also help students advance professionally.”

The organization is gearing up for more events this spring semester. They plan on bringing in a prominent guest speaker in late February and inviting TEDEx to campus in March. 

“The biggest way we perceive public speaking through our events is bringing in people who know what it’s like to be up there, speak, present to their team, or present to their higher ups,” Rodriguez said. Dates, times and locations are still pending, so officers encourage students and members to keep an eye out for updates on their Instagram page @goatxseu.