#304: How Toastmasters Changed a Teen's Life & Inspired Young Voices - Runfeng Bruce Yu

[29:10] Sometimes all it takes is one invitation. In this episode, Greg Gazin talks with 16-year-old Runfeng Bruce Yu, whose first Toastmasters experience inspired him to help other young people discover the confidence and encouragement that changed his own life.

What began with a single club visit soon grew into a remarkable leadership journey. Bruce went on to charter the Sea Dragons Gavel Club, creating a supportive environment where students could grow as communicators and leaders. Along the way, he discovered that creating a welcoming community was every bit as important as helping members become better speakers.

Bruce also shares the unexpected challenges of launching a student-led Gavel Club, the creative ways he earned credibility and attracted support, and the leadership lessons he learned along the way. Whether you're looking to strengthen your own club, encourage younger members, or simply enjoy hearing how one person can make a difference, Bruce's story is an inspiring reminder that leadership often begins with a single invitation.

Listeners will also hear...

• Why Bruce believes creating a sense of community comes before building communication skills.
• How storytelling helped students understand what makes Toastmasters different from traditional speech and debate.
• What Bruce did when some adult Toastmasters questioned whether his Gavel Club was real, including reaching out to Past International President Richard E. Peck and World Champion Mark Brown for help.
• How partnerships with Rotary created new leadership and service opportunities for students.
• Why volunteers from around the world now help support the Sea Dragons Gavel Club.
• Bruce's advice for Toastmasters clubs hoping to attract more young people.
• How one invitation ultimately inspired Bruce to create the same life-changing experience for others.

Bruce Yu's article, "From Inspiration to Action: Discovering Toastmasters launched my student journey into the program, “ can be found in the August 2026 issue of Toastmaster magazine.

About Bruce Yu

Bruce Runfeng Yu is a high school student and Charter President of the Sea Dragons Gavel Club, a student-led Gavel Club in China with an international reach. He serves on the Youth Advisory Board at Erika's Lighthouse, contributing to youth mental health initiatives, and advocates for youth participation through the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth. Passionate about expanding educational opportunities, Bruce is committed to helping young people develop the confidence and leadership skills to make a positive impact in their communities.

Bruce lives in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China and can be reached through his club's website: https://seadragonsgavel.org/ or his personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/runfengbruceyu/ or Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/runfengbruceyu/

Find out more about Gavel Clubs.

References: Supplied by Bruce Yu

Our club’s website page: https://seadragonsgavel.org/

Our club’s volunteer opportunities page (Idealist.org): seadragonsgavel.org/volunteer

Our club’s speech contests (hosted with other Gavel Clubs worldwide): https://seadragonsgavel.org/contests/

Our club’s online educational session page (hosted and joined by people worldwide): https://seadragonsgavel.org/resources/educational-sessions/

Our club’s history: https://seadragonsgavel.org/about-us/history/

Our club’s causes (Include the list of partnerships and collaborations we have): https://seadragonsgavel.org/about-us/causes/

Our club’s Linktree (with all our club’s social media and essential pages — I suggest including this): seadragonsgavel.org/connect

Promotional video by Richard E. Peck: https://youtu.be/RkZrbhReG1E?si=sE3ysww3mewETroX

Promotional video by Mark Brown: https://youtu.be/e4tlpWN1Vzs?si=XexqUngMSjFnKbMY