PEOPLE
Since its inception, over 200 UW undergraduates have trained to become speech consultants. Coaching speech provides benefits to both the trainer and the receiver. Visitors to the Center get high-quality feedback that can immediately improve their speeches. Coaches deeper their sense of rhetorical judgment, which makes them better speakers and consultants.
Matt McGarrity | Director
Matt is a Teaching Professor of Communication at the University of Washington.
Matt started the Center in 2006 and has trained every consultant since. Matt’s teaching and research focus on public speaking, argumentation, debate, and the history of rhetoric. He founded and continues to direct the University of Washington Center for Speech and Debate. He has won multiple teaching awards, including UW’s Distinguished Teaching Award, Toastmaster’s Communications & Leadership Award, and the National Speakers’ Association’s Outstanding Professor Award. His free online public speaking class has reached a million students in over 170 countries.
Current Consultants
Brinley Aiken
Despite her deep love for the craft, she recalls the nerves that accompanied each speech during her time in COM 220. She understands how intimidating public speaking can be and hopes to encourage others who are stepping out of their comfort zone. Her goal as a coach is to empower students to feel confident in their abilities and firmly believes that with the right coaching and practice, anyone can become comfortable with public speaking.
Joshua Boakye-Ansah
Faith Ellis
Faith is pursuing a degree in Journalism and Public Interest Communication. She is hoping to attend the Navy Officer Candidate School after graduation and commission as a Public Affairs Officer. Faith loves to spend her freetime drawing, painting, reading, or playing video games with her friends. As someone who grew up very shy and reserved, Faiths passion for public speaking was a shock to those in her life. She hopes to aid people who are like her, who feel a strong apprehension towards public speaking, learn to love it through finding passion in whatever they are speaking about as well as help open people up to appreciating the value of a critique.
Mariana Gomez
Aelie Howell
Aelie is a third-year student majoring in Biology-Physiology on the Pre-Veterinary track. She truly understands how daunting public speaking can feel. Through her experience as a FIG leader and taking public speaking at UW, she has discovered that confidence is built over time, and has grown to love public speaking.
Aelie is passionate about creating a judgment-free space where speakers can workshop their ideas, receive detailed feedback, decide next steps, and, most importantly, grow into their confidence. Whether it’s preparing for a presentation, practicing for a FIG community builder, or a speech, she is committed to helping speakers feel more confident in themselves because she believes that’s the biggest step toward becoming a stronger speaker.
Jane Jones
Jane is a fourth-year student majoring in Public Health-Global Health here at UW. She has had experience speaking in front of crowds since she was seven years old, when she first began doing theater productions. While she has since stopped performing, Jane still has a passion for speech and is very excited to be working at the center this quarter. Taking 220 rekindled her appreciation for performing and speaking, and she hopes that she can light a similar appreciation in those that she works with this quarter.
Outside of the classroom, Jane is passionate about communication as a tool for advocacy and public health, and she believes that strong speaking skills can empower people to share their ideas with confidence. As a coach, she aims to create a supportive and encouraging environment where students feel comfortable practicing, making mistakes, and growing as speakers. She is excited to help students build confidence in their voices and discover the impact that effective communication can have in both academic and everyday settings.
Shaan Khosah
Shaan is a first-year student pursuing a degree in Neuroscience at the University of Washington in hopes to become a Pediatric Psychiatrist. He enjoys playing and writing music, walking around with friends, and studying. He understands the issues that come from struggling to make speeches in front of audiences and the variety of ways that you can overcome them.
As a tutor, he hopes to be a person whom people can come to and feel welcomed to make mistakes while also learning from them. He wants everybody who comes into the Center for Speech & Debate to feel comfortable in being able to speak in front of people. He can’t wait to see how everyone grows!
Maddie Lambert
Maddie Lambert is majoring in Business Administration, with a plan to pursue Marketing. She is actively involved on campus through participation in Undergraduate Women in Business (UWIB) and the American Marketing Association (AMA). With a diverse range of leadership experiences throughout her academic journey, Maddie has consistently engaged in public speaking.
Her experience in COM 220 has allowed her to expand on these skills, deepening her understanding of the power behind an impactful and well-crafted message. As a speech consultant, Maddie strongly believes in the transformative power of one’s voice. She is passionate about guiding clients to develop a strong speech through workshopping, practicing, and focusing on a client’s personal flair, showing through in their final version. Maddie understands what it is like to experience writer’s block and feel shaky or out of breath from nerves. That is why she strives to cultivate a welcoming space where clients feel comfortable enough to seek guidance and become confident at every stage of their speaking journey.
Hannah Madsen
Hannah is a third-year student at the University of Washington majoring in Political Science and Communication. She comes to UW from Dallas, Texas, and has a strong background in acting and theater, which inspired her love for public speaking.
Through her experiences on stage and in the classroom, Hannah has learned that confidence in public speaking is something that grows with practice and encouragement. As a tutor, she is passionate about helping students build confidence in a supportive, low-pressure environment where mistakes are part of the learning process. Hannah understands how challenging public speaking can be and is excited to work with students to help them become confident, effective,
and engaging speakers.
Lilly McKaughan
Lilly is a senior marketing major graduating in Spring. With a current sales internship and a long history in customer service, she understands speech is an indispensable tool. Lilly is excited for the opportunity to guide students through academic assignments and real world endeavors. She believes she will learn just as much from you all this quarter as you will learn from her. Experiencing long-time public speaking anxiety herself, she feels that COM 220 and the Center for Speech & Debate have helped develop her into the confident speaker that she is today. She cannot wait to help others overcome their own obstacles and transform into self-assured orators.
Having taken classes in speech and rhetoric Lilly reckons writing the speech is half the battle and is happy to help with the iteration process of manuscript writing. A strong speaker is well-practiced and she is glad to give the ear, support, and feedback you need to be successful and grow.
Corey Olson
Corey Olson is a fourth-year UW student double majoring in Journalism and Public Interest Communication (JPIC) and Law, Societies, and Justice (LSJ). He is currently participating in the Juvenile Parole Project through the LSJ department and engaging in academic research related to the risk assessments used by the Washington State Indeterminate Sentence Review Board (ISRB). Corey is also a staff writer and anchor at The Daily UW, where he emcees a broadcast segment titled “Double Shot” that breaks down key news stories happening on UW’s campus and in the Seattle area.
Corey has tutored at the Center since his second-year at UW and is enthusiastic about working with students to increase their confidence in public speaking. In particular, he finds immense satisfaction in helping students realize their strengths and apply them to their speeches. Corey also focuses on creating a safe, comfortable space for students to lean into their unique styles of speech, ensuring they succeed as public speakers by remaining true to their most authentic selves. Lastly, Corey is all about making each tutoring session personalized to every individual he works with by placing the student’s needs and goals at the forefront of each session’s agenda.
Madeline Perman
Madeline is a first year student at UW pursuing a degree in the social sciences field. She’s always been interested in the ways people think and interact, and why they make the decisions they do. Madeline was on the introverted side growing up, but felt like her time at UW and especially in COM 220 helped her come out of her shell. She wants to help others who are nervous or unsure about public speaking to push themselves and develop their skills, and hopes to create a welcoming environment for them to practice and receive feedback. She’s excited to work with a variety of students to help them step outside their comfort zones, improve their public speaking abilities, and ultimately build confidence!
Reese Reddemann
Reese is a Communication major at the University of Washington and a speech consultant at the Center for Speech and Debate. Originally from Los Angeles, he’s always been interested in how communication plays a role in confidence, connection, and everyday interactions.
Reese enjoys working with speakers at all stages and understands that public speaking can feel uncomfortable or intimidating at times. As a consultant, he focuses on helping speakers organize their ideas, feel more confident in their delivery, and find a style that feels natural to them. He aims to create a welcoming, low-pressure space where speakers can practice, ask questions, and leave feeling more confident than when they walked in.
Henry Rivera
Henry is a second-year student at the University of Washington. After completing one year in the Foster School of Business, he is now pivoting his academic focus toward communication after discovering a passion for helping people become more confident speakers. Having experienced anxiety that comes with public speaking assignments Henry sought help through the UW speaking Center while taking COM 220. Today he uses that experience to create a warm and welcoming environment to help calm initial nerves and offers the same support that helped him.
Henry designs speaking tactics that encourage, enable, and reward practice because he believes confidence is strengthened through preparation. He works to ensure each speaker leaves feeling more capable and confident than when they started.
Stephanie Velea
Stephanie is excited to support you wherever you are in your public speaking journey! She is a first-year student pursuing a degree in Environmental Science and Resource Management (ESRM), with broad interests in both the social and physical sciences. You might find her spending time with her pets, reading, birdwatching, or exploring new places around campus and Seattle.
Public speaking has been a constant in Stephanie’s life, from speech and debate in middle school to delivering her high school’s graduation speech and providing public comment to city councils and commissions. She believes that everyone has a unique public speaking style and strives to create a fun, low-pressure environment to help students express theirs with confidence and clarity. She looks forward to meeting you!
Center Alumni
The Center has had many UW students serve as tutors and consultants. Many of whom continue to apply their consulting skills. Below are a few notable alumni of the program.
Mikayla Hall
Mikayla is a content editor for a non-profit, preparing opinion pieces and editing original content. She was previously a speechwriter for Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Eastern Washington.
“The most valuable aspect of tutoring at the speaking center was the opportunity to work with so many different people. You learn how to work with people to improve their writing and speaking, but in a way that highlights their own unique styles and voices. While I no longer serve in a speechwriting role, the ability to adapt my own writing and editing to other people’s voices is a skill I’ll carry with me to any job I may have down the road.”
Maddy Epstein
Maddy is currently a Senior Communications Manager at Microsoft. Prior to that, she worked for years as a Communications Account Director at the PR firm, WE Communications. Maddy has drafted executive speeches, helped manage Microsoft’s Environmental Sustainability Communications Agency Team, and launched a Corporate Responsibility Campaign for AT&T’s CEO. She also helped lead communications for Capitol Hill Block Party.
“Being a tutor in the Public Speaking Center has been integral to my career. I have heavily referenced my experience as a public speaking tutor in every job interview. Beyond landing the job, my experience has helped me perform in my job. Public speaking is a critical skill, especially if you work in the field of communications. As they say – if you really want to learn something, try teaching it to someone else. My experience as a tutor has informed how I write speeches, add humanizing charisma to my writing, and help brief others for public speaking engagements. I am so grateful for my experience at the public speaking center.”
Elizabeth Woolf
Elizabeth is currently a speech and communication consultant at Woolf Communication focusing on engineering. She has also consulted in the Healthcare and Life Sciences industry. She consulted for Slalom and served as a keynote speaker for their events. She is a Make-A-Wish Ambassador, delivering talks in Washington.
Serving as a consultant in the Center “changed how I perform as a professional. Not only did it exponentially increase my skills in public speaking, but it taught me how to give and receive feedback – a critical part of career growth.”
William Ray
William is an Analytics Lead for Google Cloud Storage. He has worked in economic consulting, preparing analyses for various cases, such as the lawsuits against mortgage originators after the 2008 financial crisis.
The Center is “a great opportunity to learn to do a consulting-type role where you meet 1:1 with others and offer them support. I also feel strongly that the best way to learn something is by teaching. Often when I have to speak now I self-reflect by thinking about what advice I’d give to someone who came to the speaking center. It was a great use of my time and I’m glad I was able to take advantage of it in college.
Hannah Doyle
Hannah Doyle is a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service. As a Foreign Service Officer, her mission is to promote peace, support prosperity, and protect American citizens while advancing U.S. interests abroad. She graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in Communication and a minor in Scandinavian Area Studies.
“My time at the UW Speaking Center was fundamental to cultivating effective communication skills. The knowledge I gained as a speech consultant – how to think on my feet, how to build rapport, and, most importantly, how to listen – informs my work on a daily basis.”
