"Hi, there! My name is Nich, and if you're looking for a strong communicator to help you improve your public-speaking chops or your understanding of American government, you've come to the right place!

I've been speaking publicly for almost nine years now. I started off by giving homilies at my church. This awakened in me a love of the art, which I stoked by taking a public speaking and drama classes at my high school. When it was time for me to start college, I knew what I wanted to major in. I took multiple communications classes at KVCC, including advanced public speaking, before being hired by the college as a tour guide, a job I held for two years. When I transferred to WMU, I followed a similar path, and was a tour guide there until I graduated, magna cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts in interpersonal communications. Now, I want to take the knowledge I've gained from my work and my classes and give it to the next generation of public speakers. I believe that, given the right teaching approach and enough practice, anyone can be a good public speaker.

I'm also interested in helping students understand government and politics, particularly as practiced in the United States. I've long had a fascination with the workings of Washington- one of my earliest memories is attending a get out the vote strategy meeting for the 2004 election- and when it came time to choose my minor, I jumped at the chance to study political science. If you're looking for help passing an American government class, consider me your huckleberry.

When it comes to teaching methods, I am a strong believer in practice making perfect. This doesn't mean endless flash card drills or giving the same practice speech over and over. It means making the material we're working on a part of your everyday life, engaging in varied exercises, and finding ways to practice (and practice a lot) that are enjoyable and helpful for the student." less...