I’m Gil Puga, Jr., a Speech Professor at Rio Hondo College (Whittier, CA). I’ve been coaching and teaching public speaking and other communication-based courses for 25 years. I have extensive experience at the higher education level with courses such as in Public Speaking, Interpersonal Communication, Intercultural Communication, Small Group Communication, Argumentation & Debate, and Intercollegiate Forensics (Speech and Debate competition speaking)

I have had extensive leadership experiences and was a competitive speaker on my college speech team. After being hired to direct the Rio Hondo College speech team in 2000, I realized how rewarding it was to see students perform at their best. As a competitive speech and debate coach, I directed the Rio Hondo College team to four National Sweepstakes awards (2000, 2002, 2003, and 2004). Today, I’ve been spending time writing. Argumentation and Debate: Engaging the Issues and The 21st Century Orator: A Complete Guide to  Public Speaking (2023). 

I love to travel. So far, I’ve been to 27 different countries. I judged debates at the European University Debate Championship tournament (in Holland), and China Open Tournament (Beijing, China). I’ve also visited, lectured, and judged at University speech tournaments in China, Ireland, Korea, New Zealand, Holland, Japan, and across the United States.

I’m dedicated to sharing my knowledge and inspiring you to unleash the amazing rhetorical skills that reside inside of you. I’ll help you find your own style and transform your anxiety into excitement, and ultimately, help you optimize your speech and communication skills to perform at the highest levels.