In a career metamorphosis, Erin Vanover moved from a life of dance and a potential career in tap and ballet shoes to a position behind the podium as a professional speaker. With a major in public relations and an emphasis on public speaking, Vanover won a speech competition at George Mason University and is scheduled to make the student commencement speech when she graduates.
Vanover is going from speaking in front of a class of 30 people at GMU to addressing 25,000 people at the Patriot Center on Saturday, May 15.
"I don't think anybody in high school would ever guess I'd be doing this," said Vanover.
A STROKE of serendipity landed Vanover in this position, as well. She needed an elective for her final semester at GMU and picked forensics to fulfill that requirement. As one of the assignments in class, the commencement speech was also a contest open to any graduating senior. Vanover won, with what she calls an original speech, not giving the content away completely.
"I think that's the reason they picked my speech. It's very original," she said, though it does start "Faculty, students, parents and invited guests," like every other graduation speech.
"It's a required thing to cover everyone," Vanover said.
Julie Vanover, Erin's mother, was involved in forensics as well. She now reads in front of her church on Sundays in a structured approach, but she admitted that Erin was better at just winging it in front of an audience.
"She is better at just getting up and speaking," Julie Vanover said.
In April, Erin Vanover won the contest and realized she'd be giving the commencement speech. She's been preparing ever since but insists she was not nervous.
"I'm one of those people that doesn't plan for anything," she said. "If I planned for it, I'd probably mess up. I've been practicing so much, my family could probably recite it verbatim."
Since Erin Vanover was a young girl, she has been a dancer. She was on the dance team at West Springfield and taught dancing, as well. Tammy Shapiro, the president of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, has a daughter who has danced with Vanover at the Expressive Dance and Arts Studio in Lorton. Shapiro could see the transition from dance to public speaking.
"[Dancing] builds self-confidence," Shapiro said. "It's that whole stage presence. If you can dance and sing, it gives you confidence."
Vanover's ability at public speaking was always there, but it didn't come out until her experience at GMU.
"I think it was there. It was just waiting to come out," she said.
After graduation, a party is planned at the Vanover house, where they'll watch the speech again, after taping it on TiVo, a timed recording system.
"I might be a little nervous to rewatch it," Erin Vanover said.