Michael DiCerbo “Toastmaster Mike”
Toastmasters International
Holly DiTallo, Nominator
“My reward is watching the students build self confidence and I look at this as giving a helping hand to our future leaders.”
Michael believes there is a leader inside most middle school students, and he should know. At 84, he’s been volunteering for 20 years to teach public speaking and leadership skills to school children in Maricopa County. In the past six years alone, he has helped strengthen the character of an estimated 6,000 middle school students through his Toastmasters Youth Leadership course, an eight-week intensive program. A lifetime Toastmaster, Mike enhanced the Toastmaster International Youth Leadership course for fifth through high school grades. During his course, students write eight speeches including a “resume” and a “Tall Tales” speech. They learn how to research, write, present, and listen. He trains about 1,000 students a year.
