TED Talk Topic by Cody

TED Talk Topic by Cody - July 2017 Scholarship Essay

TED Talks, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to spreading ideas, allows people to learn valuable information about many different topics from all walks of life. If I was asked to give a TED talk, it would focus upon the importance of perseverance. To elaborate on that idea, I would discuss my childhood growing up and how it has impacted my life now. Growing up in a racially diverse public school that featured many different gangs and morally horrifying influences, it was quite common for students in that situation to have extremely low expectations and standards for their future. Students were commonly suspended and expelled for breaking all sorts of rules (and sometimes laws), and as such no one was expected to be highly successful in their future. My TED talk would focus on how myself and a few others were in that situation, yet we managed to challenge the norm through our perseverance. Working hard and challenging myself allowed me to maintain high grades and a near spotless record, entirely defying what was expected of students from that walk of life. By continuing to persevere far past the bounds of being average, I was able to reach college with a 4.0 grade point average and 28 score on the ACT. By simply realizing the importance and value of pushing myself and seeking to push the bounds, I accomplished what many other people from a gang-infested public school could never have dreamed to do. With that being said, it would be my hope that showcasing my personal story and discussing other personal events would allow people to learn. Not only the students that could learn to strive for more, but also those out of school in the workforce who could push themselves to go the extra mile. Perseverance is a vital part of life, so a TED talk about it is equally vital.