Get To Know OCC consultant Lyndsey Miller
April 29, 2026
By Emma DeSantis
Lyndsey Miller
Senior, communication major, Peer Mentor and OCC Consultant
Lyndsey Miller is one of the enthusiastic, supportive, and knowledgeable peer consultants at the OCC. She answered some questions for me regarding her role as a peer mentor and consultant.
“My name is Lyndsey Miller, and I am a senior at UMD. In the OCC, I serve as a peer consultant, and I manage the website team.”
Why did you choose to become a part of the OCC?
“I chose to become a part of the OCC because I wanted to improve my public speaking and presentation skills. I knew that having the opportunity to teach others about methods while also learning from our professor Raph, I would develop stronger public speaking confidence and delivery skills.”
What is your favorite movie?
“My favorite movie is the Shawshank Redemption!”
What would you say is your worst habit when presenting/speaking publicly?
“My worst habit when public speaking is rambling, I tend to over explain when I only put bullet points on my note cards, and it turns into me talking in circles.”
This is a very common habit! Executive Public Speaking Coach, Jennifer Hennings, offers some helpful tips to combat this. She explains the PREP framework which is explaining you Point, Reason, Example, and restating your Point. This framework forces you to state your point up front, explain your reasoning and provide an example for the audience to see. Arguably the most important part is making yourself restate your point because it takes you out of what could turn into rambling. The PREP framework is just one way to combat this, of course there are many others you can practice as well.
How do you think an OCC session is more beneficial to a client than practicing on their own?
“First off, in the OCC being able to practice in front of others is essential before doing a speech, and doing so in front of trained professionals is all the better. After practicing, consultants can give tailored feedback to students and their speeches. Rather than practicing alone, this experience gives students academic space as well as expert guidance.”
What is the tip that you give to almost every client?
“A tip I give to almost every client is that they are the experts in the room on their speech. The best way to not be nervous is to realize that you know more about the topic than your classmates, and maybe even your professor for things like the call to action, other COMM107 speeches. That idea is powerful because it shifts how you see the situation. Most people get nervous during speeches because they assume they’re being judged by people who know more than they do. But especially in a class like COMM107, you’re often the person who has spent the most time thinking about, researching, and organizing that specific topic in that specific way.”
As Lyndsey highlights, peer consultants are here to offer you support and provide helpful tips to improve your public speaking and presentational skills. They will give you live feedback and will always root for your success.
Book your appointment with the OCC today!