Expressive Communication Center

Myren Bobryk-Ozaki is a fourth-year communication major with three minors in business administration; advertising and PR; and HR management. They are involved on campus in various EBoard positions, organizations, and departments. They are passionate about creating safe spaces on campus and contributing to the community around them. If you are looking to build a fantastic and captivating speech or presentation from the ground up in a safe space, be sure to make an appointment with Myren.

Adrian Burgos is a fourth-year computer science major with a minor in communication. He is a mentor and the Events Chair of the Computing Organization for Multicultural Students, as well as a member of No Voice Zone. During high school, he won the Chairman’s Award for his presentation at a FIRST Robotics competition, and has now gone on to mentor high school students on Rochester’s city-wide FIRST Robotics Team with both programming and presenting. If you need help outlining, writing, or practicing your speeches, book an appointment with Adrian.

Paula de Cárdenas is a fourth-year chemical engineering student minoring in communication. Having been raised in Puerto Rico, she communicates fluently in English and Spanish. Outside of the ECC, you would find her drinking a coffee, at the gym, or having a good laugh with her friends. When it comes to speeches and essays, her strengths include brainstorming ideas, as well as structuring and organizing the outlines. If you book with Paula, you are bound to have a good, productive time.

Andres Ceinos is a fourth-year software engineering student. Being from Puerto Rico, he is fluent in both Spanish and English. He enjoys helping others with problem-solving and brainstorming exercises. He usually spends his time at the gym, doing homework, and mentoring at the Society of Software Engineers. He loves to hear other people’s speeches and helping them improve their delivery. Book with him to get rid of that presentation anxiety.

Elena Desai is a third-year ASL-English Interpretation major and communication minor, and she is able to take appointments in English or ASL. In her free time, she loves being a member of RIT’s Vis Viva Dance program and Deaf Volleyball Association. She also enjoys hanging out with friends and getting some exercise by paddle boarding, kayaking, hiking, or hitting the gym. She is looking forward to working with you on brainstorming topics, building a strong outline, and practicing delivery. Work with Elena, and she will give you a kind, constructive critique and make sure your speech is a good balance between natural and rehearsed.

Marie Fraser is a fourth-year physician assistant BS/MS student with a minor in psychology. She likes competitive sports (including volleyball and racquet sports), yoga, card games, and baking. If you want assistance on how to deal with public speaking anxiety, book an appointment with Marie.

John Grinthal is a fourth-year management information systems major and communication minor. He is an active member of the Business and Technology Professionals Club on campus as well as whatever intramural sports he can make a team around. In his free time, he loves going to the gym, playing piano, and playing basketball. If you need help with any aspect of your speech, be sure to book an appointment with John.

Kyle James is a fifth-year game design and development BS/MS major with a minor in exercise science and immersion in communication. He is an Interactive Games and Media (IGM) Ambassador and Graduate Assistant for IGM. In addition, he enjoys going to the gym, playing video games, and traveling. If you need assistance writing your speeches, be sure to schedule an appointment with Kyle!

Mikayla MacIntyre is a fourth-year applied statistics and data analytics BS/MS student with minors in communication and ecology and evolutionary biology. Having discovered her love of public speaking, she works as both a consultant and strategic communication specialist at the ECC and is determined to show others that it isn’t something to be scared of. Mikayla enjoys helping others create passionate and interesting speeches through positive feedback. To make sure your next speech is the best it can be, visit Mikayla today.

Darrin “DJ” Majocha is pursuing his master’s in communication at RIT. He graduated with a bachelor’s in communication with a dual minor in business administration and ASL and deaf cultural studies. He is a child of a deaf adult (CODA) and communicates fluently in English and American Sign Language. DJ is a graduate resident advisor with the Center for Residence Life on campus whose hobbies include moderating Twitch/Discord communities, practicing photography, listening to music, playing video games, and ice skating! If you need support on your upcoming projects and/or presentations, see DJ at the ECC.

Kaatje Mayer is a fourth-year student majoring in communication here. "I love working at the ECC to pieces, and I enjoy every moment I get to work with my fellow students on their speeches and presentations," she said. "I look forward to our appointment together!"

Amasha (Ray) McDonald is a fourth-year communication major, with a minor in HR management. In her first year, she earned the title “Rookie of the Year” in the School of Communication for her outstanding academic achievements, which have followed her throughout her time at RIT. Ray has a natural passion for speaking and writing. She was honored to be asked to share her public speaking class speech at the Martin Luther King Legacy Program, and won the Story Slam contest at Imagine RIT 2022. She is skilled at helping you have a strong and confident delivery, as well as finding and championing your creative and unique voice. With Ray, you are bound to get an A.

Jenna Warren is a fourth-year student majoring in communication and triple-minoring in museum studies; health, culture, and society; and literature and media. She is also a student writer for University Communications, and she enjoys reading and playing video games. If you would like help with any step in your speech or presentation journey, come see Jenna at the ECC.

So you have to give a speech — now what? Deciding what you want to talk about is the first step. Our peer consultants are trained to help you decide on an idea that you’re passionate about and that will speak to a larger audience. Ultimately, we want to help you find your voice! A presentation is always better when you care what you’re talking about, so we’re here to help narrow down that focus.

Preparing an outline can be a daunting aspect of a presentation, but it’s something we can help you embrace! Our goal is to help you design an outline for any kind of presentation or speech that works best for your speaking style. You’ll likely end up with two different outlines — one for organizing the speech, and the second for delivery purposes. We want to find the method that works best for you!

Oftentimes, it’s helpful to back up what you’re saying with a visual aid — we can help with that! The goal is to create something that supports what you’re talking about without distracting your audience. From the content to the color scheme, our peer consultants will help you create material that strengthens your topic

To some, the delivery is the most exciting step of a presentation, but to others, it's the scariest. No matter your comfort level, we’re here to help. Our peer consultants will look at every aspect of the deliverable: your tone, your speed, your movements, everything! We know that it’s tempting to just “wing” a presentation, but it can be really helpful to practice ahead of time. We provide a judgement-free zone to help you get your point across in the best way possible.

We fully understand how nerve wracking it can be to speak in front of your peers and professors, but we also know how rewarding it can be! We want to work with you through every step of the process. Even if you already have your presentation written, the next step is to make you comfortable speaking. The ultimate goal is to make you confident.