Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School has begun an exciting partnership with the TEDx program that aims to encourage curiosity in its students. On January 28th a TEDx event was held in the Lecture Hall, during which we heard speeches from three professionals of various fields, and one LS student. Covering everything from personal stories to advice on AI, these speeches were a unique opportunity for students to be exposed to new ideas and to get inspired.
The opener for the TEDx talk was LS’s very own senior, Aleul Mayen. She started with an eye-opening repeat-after-me exercise where she taught us to pronounce words in her native language, Dinka. She spoke about her culture and the mechanics of the language, informing the audience about how young children start learning it through phonetic categorization. It was moving to hear her speak about the effects of mispronunciation. Role call was always a time of stress for her with teachers constantly mispronouncing her name. It was unfair for her to hear every other children’s name be pronounced correctly while she was disregarded. She spread awareness that with a little effort everyone can feel included. Her speech was unfortunately cut off short, but it was super inspiring and empowering.
Dr. Erik Knelson, the Director of Clinical Operations at Merck, was the second speaker. His speech focused on the importance of mentorship throughout life. He talked about mentors that helped him from adolescence to adulthood and the transition from being a mentee to becoming a mentor. He spoke about how mentors provide a framework for success and help you discover what you’re passionate about. He explained that mentoring relationships are some of the most powerful and important relationships you can make in life. His speech was super significant for LS students to hear to help them build confidence in asking for help and mentorship and to kickstart long-lasting relationships.
The third speaker, John Aviste, founder of Edge On Science, A Forbes Recognized Venture, spoke about the core values behind innovation. His speech was told through descriptive stories following children at science summer camp. His three separate stories described kids working through challenges as they constructed different creations. He spoke about the importance of immersion. Throughout his stories, the audience learned about how persistence and creativity can help to achieve anything you put your mind to. It was so important for students to learn about these core values because they are fundamental in achieving goals.
The last speaker of the day was Ahsok Kanagala who worked in cybersecurity, security engineering, and snap finance. His speech revolved around AI in the world and how it was consistently growing and changing. He informed the audience on how to use technology safely and efficiently. He buckled down on the fact that AI is everywhere and we need to learn to adapt and be curious instead of fearful and reserved. His speech concluded with the values of staying curious, staying safe, and building the world, and how these practices were effective in becoming a smart technology user in an era where technology is super intelligent and widely used.
LS’s eventual goal is to host a TEDx event bi-monthly, though no date has yet been set for a second event. The school hopes that these events will “bring together students, teachers, and community members to share ideas worth spreading,” as Andrew Stephens wrote in the LS News and Happenings.
