Introduction Speech

Specific Purpose:​ By the end of this speech, you will know more about me and my ambitions.

Introduction
I. My name is Cierra Fairbanks.
II. I’m 19 and was born and raised in Chesapeake, VA.

Thesis Statement/Central Idea: ​I will be sharing a little bit more about myself and my plans for
the future.

Body
(Signpost: Even though I spend most of my time in school, I enjoy a lot of activities outside of
my education.)

I. I currently work at Panera Bread.

II. One of my favorite things to do after working and doing school work is to play Animal
Crossing. It’s a very relaxing game that just let’s me decompress after a long day and
create an island getaway. I also enjoy The Sims franchise, which I have been playing my
whole life.
III. I love spending time with my niece Claire. She is two months old and her favorite thing
to take a bath because she’s a water baby.
IV. I also enjoy spending time with my four dogs and cat. We have a Basset Hound named
Puddled, a Boxer named Duke, a pitbull named Jams, and a Dalmation named Rosie and
Lily is our cat, but she acts more like a dog most of the time.
A. I guess you would expect that from a cat raised by dogs.

(Signpost: As a Chesapeake native, I was always aware of the great opportunities that came with
being a student at Old Dominion.)

I. I am currently a freshman double majoring in psychology and criminal justice.

II. I hope to use my knowledge in both areas to become a lawyer with my specialization
being either Human Rights or Family Law.
III. My aspiration to become a lawyer actually came from the show ​Law and Order: Special
Victims Unit​ and it’s one of my favorite shows. Even as a kid, I loved watching true
crime shows, so I believe that is where my passion comes from.
IV. My passion also comes from my desire to help others. I hope that it, along with my drive,
will help me become a successful lawyer.
(Signpost: With my aspiration to be a lawyer, my future is full of public speaking.)

I. From this course, I hope to become more comfortable with speaking in public.
II. I also hope to learn more about presentation and what truly makes a good speech and a
convincing argument since all lawyers have to be able to persuade an audience into
believing them.

Conclusion:
I. Today I have shared a little bit about myself, my goals and aspirations, along with what I
hope to gain from this course. Thank you.

HONOR PLEDGE: ​Cierra Fairbanks