FHC Inspires Q&As: Abby Cummings
Speaker: Abby Cummings
How do you feel about your TED Talk being picked for FHC Inspires?
“I feel honored and humbled that my TED Talk was picked for FHC Inspires. It feels very special to have my TED Talk recognized for this memorable event.”
What is a quick description of your TED Talk?
“My TED Talk is about lessons I’ve learned from kids. Since a young age, I have always loved kids. Recently, however, I began to recognize the true impact and importance of children in society. In my TED Talk, I will mention some concepts that kids have taught me to implement in my own life and hopefully spread awareness of why kids are so crucial in our communities.”
Does public speaking make you nervous? How has this project improved your skills?
“Similar to most individuals, public speaking makes me nervous. Although I do enjoy appealing to a large audience while speaking, I still experience high anxiety. Unlike any other presentation, this project has improved my speaking skills by requiring me to become more myself when speaking. Usually, I memorize presentations in order to prevent word blocks or mind blanks. This TED Talk presentation, however, cannot be fully memorized. Therefore, my skills as a speaker and preparing for a speech have improved.”
Who are you giving this TED Talk for and why?
“I am giving this TED Talk to all the adults and even children who look down [upon] kids as naive, innocent, and unqualified. My objective in my TED Talk is to change how people view the actions and words of juveniles from insignificant to crucial in human understanding.”
What do you hope people will take away from your Talk?
“I hope people will take away from my Talk that kids are not as insignificant and ignorant as they may seem. In reality, juveniles are critical in encapsulating characteristics crucial in every human being’s life. After giving my Talk, my hope is that individuals will look at kids differently than before.”
Who’s TED Talk are you excited to hear live?
“I am excited to hear Addi Bunnell’s TED Talk live. I listened to her Talk given during English class, and it was heartfelt, engaging, and spoke to perfection with each word. She is a very talented speaker, and I love the topic she has chosen.”
If your presentation was a color what would it be and why?
“If my presentation was a color, it would be yellow. Symbolically, yellow represents optimism, energy, joy, happiness, and friendship. In my opinion, all of these words sum up the features that children embody. Since my TED Talk focuses on the characteristics of kids, I feel this color is the expression of my presentation.”
How does the layout of your Google Slides portray your personality and the topic of your Talk?
“My Google slides include a multitude of pictures ranging from me and my grandma, to children that I’ve known. By including pictures of myself and kids I know, my slides not only provide insight into my own life, but also display the topic of my presentation: lessons I’ve learned from children. By displaying awareness of who I am, my Google slides portray my personality and show my love for children.”