The purpose of the Introductory Speech is to speak about something in your life that was a coming of age experience. In other words,this experience put you on course for your future or it drastically changed the way you see things. Some students have spoken about a death in the family that forced them to change plans, while others spoke about abuse or challenges theyhad overcome. This is not a speech merely focused on your family background (such as “I have four brothers and sisters”),but instead tells us about a specific experience that has helped shaped your identity.