Choate hosted its second annual TEDxChoateRosemaryHall Youth event at the Getz Auditorium on Sunday, April 16, featuring Lauren Kee ’24, Chelsea Branch ’25, Syna Mathod ’25, Zaki Shamsi ’26, and Grace Yoon ’26. who spoke about various topics under the umbrella of this year’s core theme, “Fork in the Road.” These students are One of the six speakers, Branch, titled her speech “The Driver’s Ed of Life: How to Navigate Your Future?” Branch’s speech discussed using psychology in order to plan and prepare for the future without feeling anxious. Branch said, “We are so often expected to plan, but nobody tells us how to do it without feeling so overwhelmed. Peace and planning for your future can coexist.”
Shamsi also jumped at the opportunity to give a TEDx talk because he’d always wanted to share his ideas and experiences. Shamsi shared the story of his parents in the context of the American dream and used the guidance of his peers and fellow TEDx members to land upon his final message.
“The American dream is achievable, and if you have an idea, you conceive of that idea and you dedicate yourself to that idea, you can achieve it,” Shamsi said.
Mathod, another presenter, first found interest in public speaking through a debate club at her middle school. “I have always believed and supported TEDx’s mission,” she said.
Her presentation, “The Power of Comfort in a Diverse Society,” explores the concept of accepting differences through the lens of immigrants’ and refugees’ experience. Mathod added, “I believe that it’s a really important message to share and has the ability to make a true impact.”
TEDx was started as a way to bring the community together even when students were away from campus. Feeling a lack of connection between Choate students during hybrid learning of the 2021-2022 school year, Yoyo Zhang ’24 hoped to bring the community together through founding TEDx at Choate. Over the course of two years, the planning committee has grown to include 16 core members. Within the committee, the Speakers, Visual, Fundraising, Website, and Production teams all worked tirelessly preparing to ensure that the event succeeded in amplifying “Ideas Worth Spreading,” the TED motto.
The planning committee aims to establish a platform for talented student speakers to voice their opinions. Throughout the process of preparing and planning, the committee oversaw the eight-month-long curation process, maintained outreach with various offices, and facilitated collaboration between different students on the team. Instead of inviting alumni speakers as they did last year, the team wanted to tap into the diverse student body and amplify the voices of youth. The selected student speakers were encouraged to interpret the prompt based on their own insights and experiences, and the student leaders worked closely with them to further develop their ideas.
As the leader of the Fundraising team, Leyee Dai ’24 shared, “Choate is very special to me, and [TEDx] is one of the ways I’ve been able to give back. Having met people from all over the world with incredible experiences and perspectives, I’ve seen how the Choate community can inspire others.”
Mathod has been preparing for the presentation by making a good balance of personal anecdotes and external research. “My biggest takeaway from this experience is that it’s really possible to make an impact on a community through a speech like this one,” she said.
The members, speakers, as well as the adult advisers were all integral to the success of the event. Zhang cites the support from many adults around campus, including Mr. Christenfeld, Ms. Colleen Kazar, and Ms. Alex Long, for their wise guidance and generous support.
