On April 8, TEDxETSU made its return to campus for the third time. This year, the event welcomed seven speakers, a poet and a musical performance.

“Getting the opportunity to speak at the 2024 TEDxETSU event was a thrilling journey of thought, curiosity and passion,” says Gheed Al Saji, TEDxETSU speaker. “It was a riveting and unforgettable experience that allowed me to share my story to eager minds and individuals who were perceptive and open to my thoughts. I will treasure this experience for the rest of my life. . .”

This year’s speaker lineup included: Em Hatcher, Gheed Al Saji, Olivia Lamb, Samuel Adenekan, Jared Huff, Kyah Powers and Dustin Kidd. It also included performances from poet Jake Lawson and bluegrass band, Pythagoras.

Photo of Kyah Powers speaking during the TEDxETSU event. (Dora Mercado/East Tennessean)

“TEDxETSU was such an amazing experience. I was nervous about sharing my ideas at first, but now I feel very confident in my public speaking. The friends I made throughout this, my fellow speakers, my organizers and my coaches really made this so memorable and amazing. I really loved it and I can’t thank them enough,” says Em Hatcher.

TEDx is a program offered by TED Conferences, a platform that creates “talks” from industry professionals that aim to educate and inspire. The TEDx program allows for approved organizers to host independent events where speakers from all over the world may have a chance to give a talk through the TED platform. TEDxETSU, since making it’s debut, has served as an opportunity for students at the university to go through an application process, personalized coaching and collaborative rehearsals before taking the stage to share their ideas with the world.

“I’ve performed as Bucky in front of thousands of sports fans and even appeared on ESPN, but this experience was both one of the most exhilarating and scariest things I’ve ever done,” says Kidd.

Photo of Dustin Kidd speaking during the TEDxETSU event. (Dora Mercado/East Tennessean)

Each TEDx event must include an overarching theme, this year’s being “possibility.” The talks given explored this topic by connecting it to a wide array of areas such as finding home, adapting to new lifestyles, coping with trauma, biliteracy in appalachia and combating loneliness.

“As a kid back home in Nigeria, I watched several TED talks and I found them highly informative and inspiring. When I was 13 years old, about a decade ago, I decided to add giving a TED talk as one of my life goals,” says Adenekan. “I’m super grateful to ETSU for the opportunity to not only achieve one of my life goals but to also share my story with the world.”

Next year’s TEDxETSU event has been set for April 14, 2025.

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