Photo Credit: Rachel Borba - "Barrier Basher" Marc Wayshak encourages the crowd with a thumbs-up.
By Rachel Borba –
Many students have seen more motivational speakers than they can count through high school and the start of college. It can often seem like the speakers are giving the same speech – clichéd phrases included. This past week the Salve Regina community was pleasantly surprised when they heard the speech of motivational speaker, Marc Wayshak: “The Barrier Basher”. He offered attendees a new perspective, and offered a new learning experience to everyone in the lecture hall.
Students entered the lecture hall and right away he introduced himself to the audience with an enthusiastic high-five to all who were within reach. The conversation was quick to follow the introduction and the audience seemed at ease. To set the tone, Wayshak mentioned how he has been on many college campuses and Salve Regina’s was by far the prettiest one. The following conversation was well received, and judging by the laughter that rang in the lecture hall, the audience was very receptive to his sincere humor.
Wayshak’s speech began with an exercise to get the audience involved. The assignment: to find someone with a similar hand size. Once a pair was found, the audience was told to discuss their goals with this perfect stranger. After a bit of one-on-one sharing, members of the audience got to stand up and introduce themselves and talk about their goals, which set a very supporting atmosphere.
Following this introduction activity, Wayshak switched gears and the spotlight was on him. He showed the audience a slideshow that included pictures of his family, a video clip of his favorite TV show (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), and an awkward picture from when we was in middle school. He even told the audience a skydiving story that had the audience roaring with laughter. He told the story in detail, from having to have a man attached to him, to remembering taking that first step off the plane, to the adrenaline rush which he felt as he was falling. He remembered it as one of the best experiences he had ever had.
Following the slideshow and the story, it was once again time for an activity which changed the attitude of the audience. Everyone stood up and pretend that their feet were cemented to the ground. Everyone was directed to turn as far to the right as they could manage and remember how far they got. On the second try of this activity, the audience had their eyes closed and their mind set on turning farther, and most found that their determination offered positive results. Positivity breeds success.
Following this revelation, the mood became more serious. Wayshak spoke of his struggles and how he stayed positive through them, working for what he wanted. He noted that his positivity served him well, and now has many accomplishments to be proud of. He is a member of a Rugby team and part of the National Speakers Association. He earned his Sociology degree at Harvard, and his Masters of Business Administration at Oxford. He started a business, but is now doing what he truly loves- being a motivational speaker.
Jessica Lovell, a freshman at Salve had taken away an important lesson from Wayshek’s speech. One part in particular had an effect on her: “I loved his advice about how it is so important to take that first step towards a goal, but also how it is just as important to take the second and third step, and so on.”
Overall, the audience responded well to Wayshak. Larysa Vernon, a graduate student at Salve commented, “This was the most valuable hour I’ve spent all month.”
