Did you know that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. received a C+ in public speaking when he was in the theological seminary?
One of the world’s greatest orators didn’t have the best grades when he began his studies to become a minister. Bringing up those grades, honing his speaking style and embracing his life’s cause of civil rights taught Nancy Giles that sometimes, initial results don’t always predict future success.
Giles – an actor, social commentator and five-time Emmy winner – referenced this inspiration and others in her February 11 presentation “The Struggle Makes You Stronger: Lessons Dr. King Taught Me.” It was the 38th annual Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta King Lecture hosted by Siena.
“You may have talent, but your grades might not reflect that at first,” she said, “Just keep going.”
She also shared a letter of support from Richard Nixon, sent to MLK in 1958 while Nixon was vice president and King had just been stabbed at a public gathering.
“It showed me that different sides can come together to support each other,” she told the packed audience in the Maloney Great Room. “I feel that the spirit of Dr. King and what he went through in the civil rights movement humbles me, and shows us that there are always ways for us to move forward.”
The day after her lecture, Giles tailored her advice for a select audience: two sections of the Rhetoric and Oral Communication class taught by Stacey Dearing, Ph.D., teaching professor of English.
Each student chooses a topic to research and prepares a presentation for the class. Nerves are to be expected for rookie public speakers, so Giles encouraged them to simply embrace it.
“Don’t worry about doing or saying something wrong,” Giles advised. “Think of the opportunity you have to share your information with others.”
Dearing said Giles reminded the students to focus on the importance of what they are advocating for in their speeches, and said that being nervous is “a good sign” because it shows you are invested in your topic.
“She had a really dynamic conversation with us,” said Dearing. “She asked about the students’ topics and gave them a lot of encouragement, and the class asked great questions in return. She also asked about their career aspirations, and how strong skills in public speaking could play a significant role in their success.”
Emma Bowler ’26 will be presenting on the importance of being active in supporting the mental health of college students. She found Giles’ MLK lecture and class visit helpful given the class’s upcoming assignments.
“She gave us insights on specific details on public speaking,” said Bowler. “Hearing how even a professional public speaker still gets nervous before a large crowd, or even a small class of college students, helped to ease my nerves on my upcoming presentation.”
Her classmate Conner Whalen ’27 also found the lecture and class visit informative.
“Nancy Giles shared with us how public speaking has contributed to all aspects of her life,” said Whelan. “She made a point to say that you will never not be nervous when public speaking, but it is very important to participate to further enhance your confidence.”
