Discovering My Role in “Shaping the Future” Through TEDx Bard College

By Emily O’Rourke ‘25

A tip from someone who’s been there: if you’re struggling to find inspiration, there’s no better place to find it than in a room full of TEDx speakers. 

Nearing the end of the spring 2023 semester I was invited to join the TEDx Bard College organizing team. The theme of the conference, chosen by students Thanasis Kostikas and Tom Chitwood prior to my arrival, could not have been more perfect: “Shaping the Future.” While the theme may sound broad, it created a space where all were welcome to present and share their views, where we could come together and create as one.

Shaping the future was about the speakers and their ideas, about representing the Bard College student body, and about the organizations who so kindly gave their support and resources. It was also about us, the organizers. I think the conference had a larger impact on us–as students, changemakers, leaders, and individuals–than we could ever have imagined. For me, that was definitely the case.

Changed Plans then a Reason to Be Hopeful

Since my arrival at Bard in August of 2021, I had been trying to find my place on campus and in the world at large. I came to college with a plan, set on who I was going to be and the things I would do, allowing little to no room for change. But like most plans, these eventually did change and evolve. 

My first few months at Bard were filled with drive and determination and everything was going according to plan. Then in May of 2022 the unexpected happened. My stepfather suddenly passed away. Not only did I lose my father but I also lost parts of myself that I didn't think I could exist without. He not only raised me along with my mother, but he inspired me to become the person I am today. My aspirations now changed drastically and my levels of productivity and energy decreased to the point of being virtually non-existent. The creative desires I felt all my life had vanished. I wasn’t just off-course from the path I had planned for myself; I wasn’t even heading in the right direction. I spent the next semester feeling very lost.

I first heard that Bard would be hosting its own TEDx conference from my supervisor at my on-campus job. Her email said the Bard TEDx conference team was looking to take on another student to assist in curating and planning the event, and I immediately applied for the position.

During the difficult time following the loss of my father, TED Talks were one of the few things that kept me going. There was something about the way the speakers carried themselves and the ways in which they presented ideas that made me feel hopeful. I would listen to talks on overcoming grief or on how to “find your spark again.” When I got word that I would be joining the team, I felt optimistic for the first time in a long time. 

I had planned events before, but nothing of this nature or size. This was both a terrifying and exhilarating challenge. My team and I would often find ourselves discussing the sheer scale of the event, trying to find humor in the terror. During our meetings, most of our sessions would end with, “So are we really doing this?” 

The Importance of Finding a Haven

After months of work, I first noticed the impact this conference was having on me on May 18th, as I showed up at our weekly meeting. That day marked the one-year anniversary of my father’s passing. While I could have written a very reasonable email excusing myself from the meeting, I chose not to. I remember walking to Shea House and feeling weirdly excited and full of ideas. I wondered to myself why I was not using my “free card” to get out of the meeting. It was then I realized that this year-long barrier that had been standing in my way was beginning to come crashing down. 

“Shaping the Future” took place on September 30th, 2023 and consisted of 12 talks by 13 incredible speakers. After the conference, a lot of people told my team how thankful they were for the opportunity to speak at and attend the conference and how it inspired them to keep pushing forward. As much as they were touched, we were as well. 

During the conference, I got to spend time with so many people who, through their ideas and passion, inspired me to have hope for my own future. TEDx dragged me out of my grief; it helped me feel less lost as I found a new inner path to follow. As Joan Tower, Asher Edelman Professor of Music at Bard College and renowned composer, said so eloquently in her talk, “Working Through Grief: Friends, Composing, Piano, and a Jigsaw,” it's all about the havens we find ourselves returning to as we navigate unpredictable landscapes. TEDx Bard College was one haven I relied on and found myself continually returning to as it helped me work through the “jigsaw” that is grief. 

Moving Forward

So, how do I continue to “Shape the Future?” I am still figuring that one out, but I’m beginning to feel a little bit closer to knowing the answer. I know now that there’s no such thing as a master plan. There’s no way to know how our lives will change, and what forces will shape the path ahead of us. But what we can control is the ability to shape who we are. We can prepare for what life throws at us by learning how to remain hopeful and keep moving forward, no matter what. 

As Tatjana Myoko, Scholar in Residence, Buddhist Chaplain, and 2023 TEDx Bard Speaker, once said over a cup of tea, “Life is precious. Any moment can present itself as an opportunity to turn things around. We have to become friends with ourselves, with others, in fact, with this amazing world… The future starts now.”

It can be hard to shape the future, but we can start by inspiring one other to shape ourselves.

TEDxBard returns for a second conference on February 8th, 2025 at the Fisher Center’s LUMA Theater. The conference will consist of 10 speakers, with a focus on “Building Bridges.” To view the 2023 conference archive and to see the 2025 speaker line up, visit the TEDxBard website. Also, be sure to check out the TEDx Bard Instagram page for further updates. Stay tuned for more news on this upcoming event.

Post Date: 10-18-2024