Well that sure was fun! I gave a lecture at the Sundance Kabuki earlier this week to about 300-400 early high-schoolers (and some home-school kids) as part of the San Francisco Film Society's Youth Education program. It was one in the series called The Art and Science of Lucasfilm and I presented with my colleagues and friends Rachel and Matthew.
This, like TEDx last November and like the 826 Valencia volunteering that Matt and I have done, was another great opportunity to speak to the next generation and help light a fire under them and encourage them to work hard for their goals. It's funny - I'm turning 30 this year and I'm finally seeing myself as separate from the next generation, I guess this is that "adulthood" thing people always talk about. It's been a (surprisingly) long time since I was starting high school back in 1996 and thinking about what I wanted to study and what University I wanted to go to after graduating high school. It's fun to think back to that time and reminisce, but it's even more fun to frame those experiences in a way that kids can relate to, in the hopes of inspiring them to stand out from the crowd and make their own bold moves in their lives as well.
What a fun opportunity and I was really glad to share the stage with Matthew and Rachel as well, who shared their own experiences about growing up, deciding what to do, and working hard to achieve it. I feel like this is an age range that can benefit from some positive encouragement (I know it can be tough to be confident in yourself at that age) and not all kids are as lucky as I have been with such a supportive family.
I was really psyched to be a part of this event. I start volunteering at 826 again soon too. I'm planning for lots more of this kind of stuff in the future, and I hope that it is not just fun for me to present - but that it has some positive benefit to the kids and adults who attend, as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment