The Weekly Meeting · August 26, 2026 · A five-minute read

Albert Yan Best Speech

Albert's speech wasn't on the program that morning — he signed up for the empty slot the same night he delivered it. What he gave the room was his own account of moving from Cupertino to Taiwan in sixth grade, unable to read or write Chinese. The turning point came sideways: tutoring a classmate in math, he realized he was the one who actually needed to start over. So he did — tracing preschool-level characters, building up stroke by stroke, until he eventually tested into one of Taiwan's top high schools. His takeaway, plainly stated: start from the bottom, leave your ego at the door, and move one step at a time.

Evaluator Luzee Bautista — who'd also signed up to evaluate that same night — praised Albert for saying yes on the spot in the first place, along with a strong origin-story setup and intentional hand gestures that matched the story's emotional beats. Her one suggestion: practice vocal modulation on a piece of fiction, where there's room to experiment without the stakes of a true story.

"Becoming Through Change" — Anna, the one speech on the original program,
Anna described a stretch of time on an isolated island in Ukraine — no mirrors, no malls, few of the usual comforts — and the unexpected happiness she found there anyway. She organized her post-return goals into three directions — health, career, and relationships — with a specific, almost counterintuitive takeaway: progress in one area, like picking up piano or singing, ended up building confidence that carried directly into her work. Evaluator Kush praised her stage presence and eye contact, delivered without notes, and suggested slowing her pace and adding more vocal variety.

"Three Sales Stages" — Juan Basulto, filling the second empty slot
Juan traced his own sales education from selling produce at age eight (a firm price closes a deal) through an automotive dealership (repeat business comes from service, not the sale) to tech sales today (tying business outcomes to what the customer actually prioritizes). Evaluator Derick praised the clean three-part structure and Juan's pacing, closing with a line borrowed from Tom Holland: turn nervousness into excitement.

Facilitator Nithila — praised by Albert for how clearly she walked new guests through the rules — chained each question off the last answer, all circling the same theme.

Jeremy rode the bench through his entire freshman year of college soccer; a new coach changed the context, and he became a starter and eventually an all-star. Miwa used to feel embarrassed asking questions at work, until she realized she was the one keeping presenters honest. Kush named "Enter the Sandman" as his walk-up song, from the night of his first-ever stage performance as a drummer. And Juan, asked to pick an instrument, pitched karaoke night instead.

Also in the chain: Noe (prevailing with Team B in Arts), Carlos (marching-band rivalry in Hialeah), Tim ("fortune favors the shameless"), Jay (Rambo as an imaginary marathon coach), Catherine (Good Will Hunting as her underdog movie), Luzee (Dragon Ball, and the idea that community builds heroes), Albert (a preference for flawed protagonists over impossibly pure ones), Ari (fake-it-till-you-make-it works on stage, not in high-stakes rooms), and Anna (no go-to karaoke song yet, but two singing lessons a week and counting).

BEST TABLE TOPICS
Miwa & Ari (tie)

BEST EVALUATOR
Luzee Bautista (left)

BEST SPEAKER
Albert Yan (lower)

Luzee (left), our Co-VPE, ran the meeting's notes and Pop Quiz, evaluated the night's best speech, and won for it — a full night's work by any measure.