FIRST, THINK: Who is this person and why are they significant? Make a list of people you
might like to talk about and list some adjectives to describe them. Consider how comfortable
and capable you are discussing someone if they are no longer alive.

• Option 1: My mom, we are very very close to one another, and I have nothing but good things to say about her. She is extremely kind and loving, incredibly generous, intelligent, and strong beyond words. 

• Option 2: My grandfather, who passed away a few years back. He was not a very nice man; he was extremely rough around the edges and meant every word he said. That being said, he loved me very much and i regret not being able ot learn more about him when he was alive. 

NEXT: BRAINSTORM: What other stories or anecdotes can you think of? Continue to add
depth to your outline and speech. (Writing a draft of a toast for your “person,” even if you are
not composing a toast, might help shape your speech.) Imagine that this is a SKETCH.

• Start with introducing my person, and then discuss the 2 experiences and how they have shaped the persons life and my relationship with them. I will end the speech with an overall uplifting message.  There will be a clear and strict pattern to my presentation.

NEXT: NARROW: Pick one person and focus on what you think your audience should know
about this person.

• The person of focus will be my mother 

• Emphasis on her strength, generosity, and our slightly unconventional relationship.