Directed Writing - Speech on Inspiring Persons

A very good morning I bid to our principal, vice principals, specialist teachers,
teachers and my fellow students. On this glorious morning, I, Jack, as the president of the
English Language Society, would like to give a talk about four persons who inspired me to
succeed in this life.
Teachers and friends,
The first person who inspired me the most is my own father. His name is Mr. Jack
Sparrow ak Bujang. I believe none of us have a perfect father. But, there are two things that I
really like about my father which inspire me to be a better person. One of his noble
characters is determination. He is a very determined person. His father died when he was 14
while his mother died when he was 16. It was very difficult for him to accept the loss of his
parents as he was still very young and immature. He thought of giving up, but his fathers
hope kept him going. His father always wanted him to be an educated person. His father
wanted him to be a teacher. Therefore, he went to Batu Lintang Teachers College to realize
his dream. Gradually, he graduated and became a teacher. I am also inspired by his ability to
forgive and forget. My father had never had a grudge against anyone no matter how bad he
was treated. As the matter of fact, it is not easy to forgive and forget. Amazingly, he could do
that. I wish I could do that. Perhaps, one day I will be able to learn and understand the beauty
of forgiving someone.
The second person who inspired me the most is Mr. Kieran. He was my English
lecturer when I was doing my first degree at UITM, Shah Alam, Selangor. It is not easy to
find a lecturer who can respond to criticism positively. I was very weak in English before.
When he asked me to submit my first essay, he condemned me badly and claimed that I was
not fit to be considered as a university student as my essay was full of common and critical
errors. The worst thing was, I could not even speak in public due to zero exposure to public
speaking when I was in primary and secondary schools. After criticizing my essay, I stared at
him. I was angry and disappointed with him. I told him that he should help me instead of
criticizing me because I believe that if we expect the best from our students, we must also
learn to give the best. I thought he was going to report my rebellious act to the dean. I
thought that day was my last day at UITM for criticizing a lecturer. I was wrong. He was
silent for a while and I was surprised that he accepted my comments positively. Starting from
that day, he began to teach me about grammar and how to write a good essay. He was very
gentleman. He was one of a kind. I really appreciate his ability to respond to comments
positively. I will not forget everything about grammar that he taught me before. The only
way to appreciate him is by sharing the knowledge that he had shared with me.
I hope the world will think critically and wisely about their contributions to the world.
May God bless all the inspiring figures who had made me a better person today. Thank you
for lending me your ears.