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| Maurice Ashley, Kevin Olusola, Tori Murden McClure, Spencer West, Janelle Monae, Sarathbabu Elumalai, Mark Hogg |
Spanish 4 Students, Mrs. Estman, Mrs. Catlett and Sra. Sharlin attended the Idea Festival today. We listened to some amazing speakers share their quests, their heroic stories. They are human beings like all of us who have set out on an unknown journey, who had to overcome many obstacles and climb mountains along the way.
We all were inspired by these questors who dared to venture into the unknown, pushing limits and bounderies to emerge as heroes. Today's Thrivals were designed primarily for college and high school students, and for anyone interested in new ways of thinking! I know that each Collegiate student that attended Thrivals 5.0 took with them something valuable and they are ready to set the world on fire!
Thank you to Mr. Behr and to the ticket donor who made this experience possible.
This experience was great for me because I learned how easy it really is to just get up and try and help others. This festival made me want to help with third world problems. One thing that I learned is that you have to be very determined to achieve your goals. Another thing is that you have to plan and organize what you are going to do before to initiate your plan. Finally, I learned that you have to ignore the people holding you down and remain a positive person, no matter what. If you let others drag you down, then you will never achieve your dreams.
ReplyDeleteThe experience I had at the Idea Fest was great for many reasons. First off, I was able to listen to many different speakers that were inspiring in different ways. My two favorite speakers of the day were Maurice Ashley and Kevin Olusola. Maurice Ashley is a grandmaster chess player that talked about reaching out of your comfort zones to reach your goals. Kevin Olusola spoke about combining two skills of yours into one and being creative with it. Something I took away from all the speakers at the Idea Fest was that you cannot let others affect or tear down your dreams, you must always have a positive outlook. I am very thankful that I was able to attend the Idea Fest this year and hopefully I can go again next year too.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the Idea Festival Experience. To me, each speaker was inspirational however, I liked Maurice Ashley and Spencer West the best. Maurice Ashley had talked about the importance of your quest taking you different places. His dream was to become the International Grand Master of Chess but his journey had taken him different places along the way. Spencer West refused to let people tell him his limitations. Even though the doctors had told him he would not be a functioning member of society, he proved them wrong. He refined the definition of "possible". One thing that stuck with me was Maurice Ashley's quote "The idea of failure scared me into keep going towards my dreams." I believe that failure is final but if you are scared of failure you must run away from it. The only way to run is toward success. I really benefited from the Idea Festival's speaker and was glad I was able to be apart of this trip opportunity.
ReplyDeleteI thought Idea Festival had great educational value. All of the speakers in my opinion were very good, and taught an important lesson: If you believe in yourself, you can achieve anything. It was a hard choice, but I think that the International Chess master, Mr. Maurice was a really good speaker. His story wasn't ground breaking. I think 99 percent of us won't ever have an experience like climbing Kilimanjaro on hands, or rowing across the ocean. It related more to us students at a better level. I like how Maurice broke stereotypes like people from an american city can't play chess, or that he wouldn't be able to make a living because of his previous childhood. I am really grateful that I had the opportunity to go to Idea Festival. It was good value.
ReplyDeleteI had a great time at the Idea Festival this year because of the speakers. I enjoyed all of their messages on achievement and overcoming obstacles. This trip inspired me to try harder and work to achieve my goals. Hearing such amazing stories from such eloquent speakers was definitely beneficial to me as a person and I am glad that I was able to go.
ReplyDeleteThis years Idea Festival taught a lot of things about life that I never would have thought of. I enjoyed listening to all of the speakers and their unique stories, which all come down to and relate to a similar concept which iI thought was cool. I learned a lot about how i can achieve my life goals and what obstacles are going to be there along the way. Overall, I loved the speakers and their inspiring stories and I am so happy that I was given an opportunity to go this year. I am really motivated to go to next years!
ReplyDeleteThis was the first time I had ever been to the Idea Fest. It was such a great experience, and I think all the ideas the speakers shared with us are valuable life lessons. Maurice Ashley, Kevin Osasula, and Spencer West were my favorite speakers. They were all great public speakers and had interesting and inspirational messages. Maurice Ashley's ideas about how he loved chess so much that it shaped his life made for a great story. He also touched on the fact that sometimes you have to leave your comfort zone to reach your potential. I enjoyed Kevin's speech and musical productions a lot. How he came up with a new art form was very interesting; n addition, his collaboration with the Central student was unforgettable. Spencer West was the most inspirational speaker. His journey up Kilimanjaro and through life was so impressive. To go through what he goes through, and still dedicate your life to making other's lives better, is incredible. I am so thankful that I went to the Idea Festival; it was such a great day.
ReplyDeleteI really loved going to the Idea Festival today and I learned a lot of new things. My favorite speakers were Spencer West, Kevin Olusola, and Sarathbabu Elumalai. Spencer West was extremely inspriring, and I learned that no amount of limits can hold you back, and you can achieve anything you set your mind too, especially when your best friends are alongside you. I learned from Kevin Olusola that you can combine two things you love, and they will be great. I also learned from Sarathbabu Elumalai that you can start from basically nothing and become anything you want to as long as you set your mind to it. Overall I really had a lot of fun at the Idea Festival, and I would love to go back next year. I learned a lot of new things, and I was truly inspired by all of the speakers there.
ReplyDeleteI had a great time at the idea festival. I learned from Maurice Ashley to only focus on one thing and not become a jack of all trades and to do what you love even when people tell you not to. From Kevin Olusola I learned that collaboration has to be good or it can turn out not so good. Finally, from Spencer I learned being different is okay and to laugh. By, Max Grossman
ReplyDeleteI greatly enjoyed the Idea Festival. My favorite speakers were Maurice Ashley and Spencer West. Maurice Ashley's dogged pursuit of his dream to become an International Grandmaster of chess was inspiring. Even more so was Spencer West who, without legs, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and in addition assists in the building of schools around the world. I would return to the Festival happily if given the chance.
ReplyDeleteIdea festival was a great experience. I am thankful that we were able to go on this field trip because of the many things I learned. all of the speakers were great; however, my two favorites were Kevin and Maurice. Kevin's Story was about how he was a prodigy from the time of being a child and then took advantage of his talents and worked hard until he succeeded. He taught me that in order to capture someones attention, creativity was key. Maurice's story about how he rose from being raised in brooklyn into becoming a grandmaster was also very inspiring. It taught me that circumstances are irrelevant if you care about something enough. I really enjoyed the Idea Festival and look forward to it in the future!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the Idea Festival. Each speaker had similar reason for their own innovation: wether by putting a twist on classical music, being an amputee and summiting Mount Kilimanjaro, or their goal to stop poverty and hunger. They each showed how perseverance really can pay off, and not some fairy tale idea. My two favorite speakers were Spencer and Maurice. Spencer's story is unique in a way that it is one of a kind. Kevin's story was unique in combining two opposing generes of music and blending them together smoothly. I got a lot out of the Idea Festival and hope to go again next year!
ReplyDeleteThe festival was truly an event I will never forget. The obstacles these people faced, and overcame were truly inspiring. I am currently the Co-President of the Me to We club at Collegiate, and seeing Spencer West today truly inspired me to do more for the club. He showed me to never give up, and don't let others put you down. He is truly an inspiration to all.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the Idea festival and am so glad I got the opportunity to go. My favorite speakers were Maurice Ashley and Spencer West. I liked how Maurice Ashley said there is a whole world out there that we have to explore and learn our passion from. I also liked how he said he learned so much about himself from failing in chess. I think that you have to fail several times in life, but it is what we learn from it that is so important. I also thought Spencer West's speech was very inspirational. It was amazing how he was able to prove the doctors wrong, who claimed he would never be a functioning adult in society, and do everyday activities. He is so appreciative and thankful of his life. I am very interested in this Me to We organization and would like to learn more about it. Thank you so much for the opportunity and hopefully I will be able to come back to the IF festival soon.
ReplyDeleteThe Idea Festival was an inspiring experience that taught me a lot about how to achieve my goals in life. Tori Murden started off by showing me that failure is the first step towards success, and that giving up is only part of the process in trying again to reach success. She also pointed out myriad things that are wrong with society that I hadn't thought about, which helped motivate me to recognize apparent problems in the world and then begin to change them through my own ability. Kevin Olulosa exhibited his extraordinary talents, and taught me that following my dreams would be a long process, and that patience is key. I learned the importance of innovation, and was inspired to be more creative in order to express myself. The most inspiring part of the idea festival in my opinion was Spencer West, who's lifestyle is incredible despite his physical difference. His comfort with himself and constant motivation to do great things for the world inspired me to strive for what I may not have thought I was capable of doing. He truly "redefined possible."
ReplyDeleteI found the Idea Festival to be a great experience for several reasons. Not only did I get to learn about the success that each of the speakers had had in their quests, but I learned how to find success in my own. Tori McClure taught me that in every story there is a "magic sword" to aid the adventurer. She identified the sword as being the power of education and how it can help individuals to achieve great things. I also found Kevin's unique brand of music to be inspiring because it encouraged me, as well as other listeners, to be innovative and not be afraid to do something completely different. Lastly, Maurice taught me that if you are truly passionate about something, you need to chase after it despite any obstacles that stand in your way.
ReplyDeleteI found the idea fest to be a great experience for several reasons. I learned about different peoples success stories. I learned the importance of cooperation with Maurice and his example with the thing he did in China. I also learned that anything is possible with what Spencer Swift taught me and how that really inspired me. Also the grandmaster in chess taught me to not give up on your dreams just because of other people like your mother are discouraging.
ReplyDeleteThe idea fest was a great experience for me and my classmates. I was truly inspired by all the speakers present. Each telling their success story really propelled my own interests into achieving my goals and being able to tell other people about my story. I learned from Mr. Ashley that you are already as good as the title you aspire to be. Its just reaching that is a milestone in anyones life. Mr Olusola taught me that collaboration is a productive way to help others and reach your own goals. Lastly Mr. West showed how anyone can have an impact on the world, and don't let anyone stop you. Overall Ideal fest was a fantastic inspiring experience that will stick with me for a long time!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the idea festival. The best part for me was listening to Spencer West and his amazing story. He was such an inspirational person to listen to. When he talked about his climb up the tallest mountain in Africa, I was amazed at the things he could do with no legs. If he can climb a mountain using only his arms, imagine the things that we could do. He inspires us all to be better people and to never give up no matter how bad you have it. Another person that I really enjoyed listening to was Maurice. I think that he had the best speech out of all of them. You would have never thought that a boy that grew up in one of the worst parts of Brooklyn would become an International Grand Master of chess. His story was unbelievable and inspirational. His speech was very well said and every story he told was always gripping. He was an amazing speaker. I really enjoyed my time at the idea fest and I learned that the most important thing to do is to never back down.
ReplyDeleteI extremely loved the Idea Festival. It was an amazing experience for my classmates and I. Although the speakers in Idea Festival,as a whole, were all inspiring to me, the two that stood out to me the most were Spencer West and Sarathbabu Elumalai. Both of them went through tough challenges. One had a disease in his legs and had to have the legs removed by the age of five. Sarathbabu Elumalai had seen hunger with his very own eyes, and realized that his mother was drinking water just to feed her children. They have witnessed struggle throughout their whole lives. Yet...they went through it, and they did not collapse,they became stronger through their circumstances. Now...Spencer West climbed the tallest mountain in Africa as well as raised money for children that are in need. Sarathbabu created FoodKing just to feed people and employ them so they can have a job. All this sent me one message: Always have faith, never give up. Because although there are and will be bad times in our lives, there will always be faith, and things will get better.
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