Learning the tricks of the trade
National Veterans’ Week Speakers Program connects new speakers with mentors to make speaking less scary
December 12, 2025 - Tim Bryant, Western Sentinel
New speakers participating in the National Veterans’ Week Speakers Program (NVWSP) do not have to go it alone.
First-time volunteers can connect with more experienced speakers to learn tips to best engage their audiences.
There is no formal NVWSP mentorship program, but new speakers may request to work with experienced ones to learn more about what is involved in presenting. In addition, experienced speakers are encouraged to guide and support new ones, and in some cases NVWSP leadership will ask experienced speakers to mentor a newcomer.
That is what happened to Warrant Officer Tyler Campbell from 41 Signal Regiment in Calgary. He was approached by the NVWSP co‑ordinators to see if he was interested in mentoring a new speaker, and he jumped at the opportunity.
“I wanted to do that because I wanted to make sure somebody who’s junior into the military [knows] these aren’t as daunting as you may think,” he said.
WO Campbell has been speaking with the NVWSP since 2023. His first year, he spoke at Equilibrium School in Calgary, an adult learning institution with a large immigrant student body, and he has returned there every year since.
This year, WO Campbell was paired with Private Pratibha Singh from 15 Field Ambulance in Calgary.
“Having a mentor was invaluable,” Pte Singh said.
Pte Singh joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in November 2024, fulfilling a lifelong dream. She came to Canada from India in 2008 but waited for her children to become more independent before enlisting.
The mentoring relationship went extremely well. WO Campbell was able to pass on lessons not just from his two previous years of speaking, but also from his nearly 20-year career in the CAF.
Prior to Pte Singh’s assigned speaking engagement, she and WO Campbell met in person to discuss what to expect and how to prepare. Although that engagement was ultimately cancelled, the meeting nonetheless proved helpful.
“It was a great learning experience, because I felt so confident,” she said. “Not only that I was prepared for the event that was supposed to happen, but what I felt after that in‑person meeting will definitely help me grow as a good communicator and maybe take those speaker events more in the near future.”
One of WO Campbell’s biggest pieces of advice was to learn the material you’re presenting. Having notes can help highlight the important facts and details, but simply reading off the page limits engagement. If you know the material, you’re better able to engage with the audience, which enhances the experience, he said.
“The energy and effort you put into it, people are going to give it back to you ten‑fold,” he said. “If you come prepared and you know your speaking topics, they’re really going to be receptive.”
Pte Singh said another piece of advice she got was to practise the presentation. Practising doesn’t only help you learn the material, but you’ll become more comfortable with it and be better able to adjust your presentation to the audience in front of you.
While her own presentation was cancelled, Pte Singh was still able to take part in a speaking engagement when she joined WO Campbell at his Nov. 10 visit to Equilibrium School. She did not present to the students, but she did introduce herself and tell a bit of her personal story when one student asked her why she joined the CAF.
Caption
Private Pratibha Singh (left) introduces herself to the audience at Equilibrium School in Calgary. Pte Singh accompanied Warrant Officer Tyler Campbell on his Nov. 10 National Veterans’ Week Speakers Program presentation as part of a mentorship arrangement between the two to prepare Pte Singh for her own speaking engagements next year.
Photos supplied
Caption
Warrant Officer Tyler Campbell (centre right) and Private Pratibha Singh (centre left) sit with students from Equilibrium School in Calgary following WO Campbell’s National Veterans’ Week Speakers Program engagement on Nov. 10.
Caption
Warrant Officer Tyler Campbell (left), Private Pratibha Singh and Equilibrium School’s Julia Licznerski following WO Campbell’s presentation on Nov. 10. Pte Singh accompanied WO Campbell on his National Veterans’ Week Speakers Program engagement to get first‑hand experience of what being a speaker involves in preparation to speak next year.
Just being able to watch WO Campbell give his presentation was a valuable experience, she said.
“He is a great presenter. I was able to witness how engaged he was with the audience.”
Despite being new to the CAF, Pte Singh was drawn to the NVWSP when she saw it announced at work.
“Immediately it felt like it was a great opportunity to contribute beyond my regular duties,” she said, adding she felt speaking would allow her to “give back and inspire others, and strengthen the bond between the military and the community.”
For new CAF members who might be considering taking part in the NVWSP, Pte Singh said to go for it.
“Take that first step,” she said. “Taking that first step and exploring more [about] what it entails will definitely give you a right direction.”
For WO Campbell, there is no doubt becoming a NVWSP speaker is an excellent decision.
“This is a wonderful opportunity,” he said. “It’s extremely rewarding.”
As a speaker, you get to both represent the CAF and tell your own story of service.
“You’d be very surprised at the reception you get,” he said. “People are very engaged. They’re extremely interested. And they’re very thankful for you putting on that uniform and swearing to something that’s bigger than yourself. It’s going to be one of the most rewarding things you’re going to do in your career.”
To learn more about the National Veterans’ Week Speakers Program, visit: National Veterans' Week Speakers Program.