2008 Woodie Awards
The people you know... Melissa Benton
By: Stephanie Kiszczak
Issue date: 12/1/05 Section: LifeStyle
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Senior Melissa Benton, a speech communications major, seems to be making the most out of life - and uses her voice to make an impact.
"What I like to call myself, I'm the voice for those who cannot speak," Benton said.
Benton's vocal chords have led her to an array of opportunities, like her recent job offering as public relations director for Universal Exchange where she is the head of fundraising. She also gives speeches and presentations.
"They are responsible for after-school programs and community events," Benton said of the up and coming company, adding there are offices in San Diego, Fairfax, Va., Richmond, Va. and Edenton, N.C.
A goal of hers is to incorporate forensics speech and debate into after-school programs in secondary education. Benton would like to use performing arts as an educational tool.
The La Leche League heard some of Benton's speeches and asked her to write for them. The La Leche League is a group of women who work to promote breastfeeding in public. Benton will speak at an upcoming conference for the League and is in the process of writing an article for their magazine.
"The great communicator"
An active member of the speech and debate team, Benton believes forensics and debate tests participants' English, comprehension, reading and writing skills, as well as how they are as a person.
"All I wanted to do was learn the basics," Benton said.
She also said speech communication gives her confidence, makes her stronger, helps her to gain life skills, boosts self-esteem and improves her communication with others.
The speech and debate team excelled at the last meet - four team members placed in the top six.
"Our whole team placed - just about," Benton said.
Benton placed first in the after-dinner and program oral interpretation categories on the first day of the meet. On the second day, she placed first in the same two categories as well as in prose.
Benton credits the team's success at the meet to the hard work and dedication of its members.
"It takes everybody to make it happen," Benton said. "I've seen the people on my team - the way they started out and the way they are now - it's phenomenal."
She practices about once a week, but increases her preparation to three to five times a week when an event is fast approaching. Benton also likes that the Scott and Gina Jensen, director and assistant director of the forensic and debate team, are parents and understand when issues arise concerning her child.
"We just talk about our babies and every project can have something to do with our babies," Benton said of her and the Jensens.
Master of motivation
Benton has been at Webster for about a year. Before moving to St. Louis, she attended J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College in Richmond and earned a degree in optometry. She only made the move to Missouri because her sister was determined to earn a master's degree at Washington University.
"We believe in making dreams come true and her dream was to get a master's at Washington University," Benton said.
Her sister's two children were young at the time. And so, Benton was the kind aunt who decided to move to St. Louis to watch the children while her sister went to school. Benton's sister has since earned two master's degrees from Wash U.
During this time, Benton made use of her degree in optometry by working at Lens Crafters. Benton said she was good at her job at
Lens Crafters, but she wasn't happy with it. Benton, who worked as a general manager at more than one Lens Crafters, said she only kept the job because of the money.
"I went in there with the goal of helping the world see," Benton said. "And then before you know it, it became more about money and less about helping people see."
At a Lens Crafters convention, Benton gave a speech thanking various people in the company.
"I gave this speech and received a standing ovation," Benton said. "People quit their jobs."
Benton continued, "People called me afterward saying 'I found out who I was.' At that point, I realized I had a voice that needed to be heard."
In addition to the happy-go-lucky motivational speech, Benton also saved several Lens Crafters stores from closing. Recruited to help monetary stores in need, Benton once again used her public speaking skills to motivate employees. She held an 8 a.m. meeting, complete with donuts and friendly, but uplifting, chitchat on how to save the store from bankruptcy.
"I don't know what the heck happened, but I gave the speech of my life," Benton said.
While it was "the speech of her life," Benton said she only spoke for about 15 minutes. She preached three main points to employees - to believe in themselves, the importance of honesty and not to put their nose in the customer's pocketbook.
"As sales persons, we preconceive and make judgments," Benton said.
Benton said salespeople are guilty of prejudging the customer, only offering specials they feel the customer can afford. Sales that day rose from zero to 60 percent.
"They went out there and sold their butts off that day," Benton said of the Lens Crafters staff.
Benton was thrilled her speech had such an impact on people and received perks from the success of that day.
"My boss got a promotion, I got a promotion, everybody got a promotion," Benton said.
We are family
Benton decided to call it quits at Lens Crafters and instead decided to come to Webster. Aside from juggling, work, a home life, school and speech and debate, Benton substitute teaches at Riverview Gardens Elementary School District in North County.
"Children are our future," Benton said. "I want to help the future grow."
In the works, she has a couple public relations presentations for Universal Exchange. She has forensics speech and debate practice once a week, and three to five times a week when preparing for a meet. Benton is working on four events - poetry, drama, persuasive duo and readers' theater - that she will compete in at the next meet.
She has been married for three years and is the proud mom of Rachel Joy, an 18-month-old little girl.
"My daughter is the light of my life," Benton said. "She is truly my joy. To see her, you see me. She is definitely the good part of me."
Benton and her husband each divide their activities in and out of the home, as he works at Micro Tech and their little girl goes to day care.
"My husband and I are a team," Benton said. "We are a unit. That's the only way to do it."
Benton's in-laws also step in to help out when time is working against her and her husband.
"And they have taken me under their wing like I am their daughter," Benton said of her in-laws.
Her mother-in-law will sometimes go to Benton's forensics and debate meets and watch Benton's daughter.
"And I have a supportive husband who comes along too, to take care of her," Benton said.
In addition to her many activities, Benton still finds time to relax and watch television.
"Digital cable is the best thing ever," Benton said, adding she also has a soft spot for movies.
Whether it's through powerful speeches, a warm smile or a simple act of kindness, Benton still makes it her mission to help others.
"Sometimes all you need to do is be there to pick someone up when they need it," Benton said.