FHC Inspires 2023 Q&As: Rebecca Maddox
Position: Speaker
Title: “The Power of Embarrassment”
Why did you apply to be a speaker?
“If I had heard my talk in middle school, I think I would have been a lot happier, and I truly believe that being mindful of embarrassment can make people happier. I also never turn down an opportunity to look like an overachiever.”
How are you feeling about speaking at FHC Inspires?
“I feel weirdly cavalier about the whole thing, which is a little bit scary. I think I ought to be more nervous.”
What was the process of perfecting your speech?
“Contrary to Mr. George’s advice, I actually memorized a lot of my talk. I’m a writer, so I had a lot of clever phrases and quotes I wanted to include. Because I had to memorize, it was important for me to avoid sounding robotic and still recall a loose outline so I wouldn’t freeze if I forgot something.”
What does your message mean to you, and what should it mean to the audience?
“I believe that we’ve given embarrassment too much power over our lives, and we need to be more mindful of its control to become happier people. As a freshman, I was so afraid of being embarrassed. This year, I realized that I would rather be happy and risk a little embarrassment than constantly anxious but socially acceptable, and it made me so much happier. I hope that my audience hears my message and frees themselves to fear embarrassment less and become more mindful of how they judge others.”
Did you ever see yourself speaking at FHC Inspires?
“I knew I would do Inspires from the moment that I watched last year’s Honors 10 class give their talks in the lecture hall. Specifically, Alexa Fauson’s talk made a huge difference in my life and the way I look at food. I realized that I wanted to try and impact someone like that.”
Does your Google slide presentation reflect your topic?
“I think so. I’m not really a graphic designer, but SlidesGo and remove.bg went a long way in making an aesthetically pleasing presentation. I also used a lot of photos of myself because I have personal examples, and [Honors 10 teacher Ken] George is pretty adamant about avoiding stock photos.”
What’s the best time of day and why?
“The morning is the best time of day, hands down. The sun is up, the day is full of possibilities, and breakfast is the best meal of the day. It all goes downhill from there.”
What’s something you can’t live without?
“Because I just read The Grapes of Wrath, definitely food and family. My perspective has been put in place, to say the least.”