Inside Ilana Nguyen's TEDx Talk
Most of us have watched a TED Talk. Our teachers play them in class, we watch them while procrastinating at 2 AM, and so on. We wonder what it could it possibly feel like to be the speaker on that stage. Full-time OHS sophomore Ilana Nguyen had the opportunity to experience that firsthand when she spoke at TEDx Oakland this November. Ilana shares her experience behind the TEDx stage with Pixel Journal.
Ilana’s talk was on “Teens, Tech, and the Antidote,” where she shared the positive and negative consequences of technology. “I offered an antidote to the negative consequences on an individual and global level from a first-person experience and also from living in Silicon Valley.” Ilana stressed the importance of “listening, connecting, and making human connections with each other.” Although we don’t realize it, “we need to make this a priority in our lives because this so often gets pushed aside.” When asked how she got inspired, Ilana reveals that she had taken a lot from her personal experiences and let her interests formulate the speech on their own. Ilana is the director of EduSTEM San Mateo and regularly teaches these workshops for kids of underrepresented backgrounds. She has always been interested in technology and diversity in STEM. In addition, as a full-time OHSer, Ilana shares a sense of how hard it can be to make connections. However, despite living hundreds of miles away, she has come to find her friendships at OHS even stronger than friendships in the past. “We really cherish the time we have together, whether it is on Skype or in person.” Ilana believes that “the antidote is active listening and meaningful connections,” and this theme is what really inspired her speech.
Unlike most TEDx talkers, Ilana did not directly apply to speak. A year prior, Ilana emailed the organizer of another event, called the Unintended Consequences of Technology conference, in hopes of getting a student-discount for the ticket. She ended up making a memorable impression on him being the only teenager there, and the organizer consequently asked her to present at this conference the following year. After speaking, the organizer invited her to present at TEDx Oakland, which Ilana happily accepted.
In preparation for her TEDx debut, Ilana started writing her speech three months in advance. Her preparation process consisted of a lot of practice and numerous revisions. She practiced most in front of the mirror and to her mom. “I was bored of my own talk at the end of all that practicing!!” Although she knew she put in the work, Ilana still felt really nervous before she was about to go on. “I was shaking, this is actually happening!” However, she found listening to music and talking to the people backstage successful in easing her nerves. After stepping on stage, Ilana instantly found familiar faces in the audience, as most of her family came to watch. Now, “I was really excited and happy that it was finally happening.” Ilana was happily surprised by the audience’s reception to her talk, saying “People laughed at a lot of [my jokes], which I wasn’t expecting! I was so glad that they were actually enjoying it.” Ilana was also surprised when she changed her slides. “The screen behind me was so big that it illuminated the whole theater,” so “the color of the audience changed with my slides!”
About two paragraphs before the end of her speech, Ilana couldn’t believe she was almost done. After finishing, Ilana describes feeling “a big high.” She was most excited to take pictures with the rest of the speakers and talk with the people that came up to her. Watching TED Talks on Youtube was one thing, yet attending the event in person was truly special. “I learned a lot from being there.” Ilana recounts one of the most memorable speakers at the event to be Dolores Huerta. Huerta is a civil rights activist who, with Cesar Chaves, co-founded the National Farmworkers Association. Although she is a big name, “she was so sweet and humble” in person. She is 89 years old, yet still passionate in advocating for what she believes in. Although Ilana had an amazing experience and got to meet a lot of inspiring people, she still had to return to reality the next day. “It was kind of sad coming back to school the next day, with all the extensions and assignments I momentarily forgot about.”
After this experience, Ilana was glad that she had this opportunity to put herself out there. “I was super shy and quiet all throughout elementary school” and “I did not raise my hand in class at all.” It was in 5th grade when her teacher encouraged her to start sharing her ideas. Now, giving a speech on the TEDx stage, “I have come a long way!”