FHC Inspires 2023 Q&As: Khai-Thi Pham
Position: Speaker
Title: “How To Be A Better Liar”
Why did you apply to be a speaker?
“I’m not even going to lie, although I do really like speaking and entertaining, I got peer pressured a little bit. A lot of my friends told me to do it, and then my parents told me to do it, so I caved in, but I’m glad I did it because I do enjoy speaking out to crowds.”
How are you feeling about speaking at FHC Inspires?
“I’m very nervous, but at the same time, I’m also really excited because obviously, this is going to be a big moment in my high school career. I’m just really overexcited.”
What was the process of perfecting your speech?
“A lot of it was talking with not just Mr. George, but also my friends and doing a lot of research to configure my [speech] to make it Inspires level.”
What does your message mean to you, and what should it mean to the audience?
“It’s definitely meant to be a comedic relief amongst the crowd, and it’ll definitely be more entertaining. There is a message at the end of the talk, but overall, it is to entertain and give some laughs; not everything has to be so serious.”
Did you ever see yourself speaking at FHC Inspires?
“Absolutely not. I did not go freshman year. I thought even it was lame at first; I’m not even going to lie, I thought it was weird. ‘[Who] would you wanna do that?’ But now, I’m really into it.”
Does your Google slide presentation reflect your topic?
“I had to change it. It’s just words on plain background; it’s very minimalistic, but that’s the point. It’s meant to be very blunt and very bare-minimum.”
What’s the best time of day and why?
“Dead of night; it’s quiet. I’m alone a lot of the time. I can sit down, relax, and think to myself [with] no judgment. It’s a safe place.”
What’s something you can’t live without?
“It has to be the internet because it’s the way I connect with a lot of my friends. I’ve moved a couple of times, so there [are] friends who don’t live here in Michigan, and also friends I’ve met via online and the resource it gives.”