(This is the text of my first Toastmasters speech.)

My name is Kylan. K-Y-L-A-N. It looks like Dylan when you write it down, but it’s pronounced Kylan, not Killan. It’s an unusual name.

How did I get such a strange name? Did my parents think they were being clever? Were they interested in making me unique? Were they crazy? The truth is that they were simply indecisive. My mom and my dad were having trouble choosing between the names ‘Kyle’ and ‘Ryan’. Instead of flipping a coin or playing eenie-meenie-minee-mo, they chose not to choose. Kylan is an original mashup, it takes a piece of each name and smooshes them together to create something completely new. In 1985, Kyle and Ryan were very popular baby names. I have too many friends named Kyle or Ryan, so I’m grateful that I wasn’t part of that craze.

However, my strange name frequently causes confusion. When my wife and I go out to eat at a restaurant, I slip my card into the folder to pay the bill. Usually, when the waiter comes back, he hands the card to my wife, assuming that it’s hers!

This kind of thing doesn’t really bother me, though. I will answer to pretty much anything, but my real friends know how to pronounce my name the right way.

In this Internet age, I’ve become very thankful for my unusual name. When I sign up for a new email address or website account, I don’t have to create a long-winded, easily-forgotten monikers. Most of the time, I simply type in my first name and off I go.

It’s actually quite refreshing to be able to tell all of you the full story about my name. Most of the time, when I meet someone new, the window of time allowed for introductions is extremely small. It usually goes something like this:

“Hi, what’s your name?”
“Matt. What’s yours?”
“Kylan.”
“Kyler?”
“Kylan.”
“Tyler?”
“Yeah… Tyler. Whatever.”

Sometimes, when I want to avoid confusion, I give the wrong name on purpose. This is a fun game that I usually play at fast food restaurants. The kid at the register wants to put a name on the order, so I tell him ‘Mike’ or ‘Bill’ or ‘Tommy.’ Believe it or not, I’ve even gone with ‘Fredrick’ before. Apparently, it’s a lot easier to spell and say than Kylan.

Now that I’ve told you all about my name, what else is there to know about me?

I grew up in Tacoma, and first came to Pullman in 2003 on an academic scholarship to WSU. Computer engineering was my field of study, and I enjoyed participating in intramural sports and WSU’s Model United Nations club. I also spent four years playing trumped in the Cougar Marching Band, which is where I met my wife, Kristen. She played clarinet.

During my senior year, I started working for SEL as an intern. After graduation, I joined full time as an associate software engineer in Automation and Integration Engineering. Kristen is now a third grade teacher at Sunnyside, and we really enjoy living in Pullman. Our hobbies include Frisbee golf, racquetball, camping, and volunteering at our church. Our marching band days trained us to be die-hard Cougar fans. You can find us at all of the games, despite the miserable state of the football team.

Personally, my interests include website design and all sorts of electronic gadgets. Also, I would say that I have a very entrepreneurial spirit. There are always two or three business ideas floating around in my head.

I hope that this little introduction gave you an idea of who I am. I look forward to getting to know you all as time goes on.