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My name is Rayyana Sunderji, I am the Lead for Communications and Media, and a grade 12 student at École Riverside Secondary.
When I was in grade 11 I joined the Encounters TEDEd Club for two reasons; to further my religious studies and to share my own ideas with the world. As a current grade 12 student, I can now inform you all that not only did I accomplish both of my goals, but I also obtained a countless number of skills, made connections with a variety of people, learned about team building and dedication, and so much more. This is why I encourage every Ismaili high school student, whether you are a regular BUI student or not, to seize this amazing opportunity and join Encounters TEDEd!
I completed my TEDEd Student Talk last year, and I can definitely say that, although the process is vigorous and requires dedication, it gave me an enormous amount of confidence and accomplishment. Being able to take my own experiences and ideas and turn them into a relatable talk that has the potential to help someone throughout their lives and experiences, has helped me understand how much of a voice I have, and how big of an impact I can make. This opportunity is extremely unique, because, unlike TED Talk projects that are completed in English or Leadership courses in high school, here you get the opportunity to work on your idea for a whole year, and with amazing teachers and guides that provide exceptional feedback and support. In Encounters TEDEd, not only did I get to share my own story and thoughts, but I was also able to make meaningful connections between my faith and my day-to-day life.
While taking regular Encounters, there were very few projects where I was able to explore how my religious knowledge relates to my own purpose in life, and in order to stay connected to my faith, and many teenagers also feel the same, I need to be able to really understand the impact that my faith has on my life. I have been closely connected to my faith for my whole life while being an IVC Volunteer and attending Jamathkhane regularly, and to be able to take the stories and lessons I have learned my whole life and apply them to my own situations in Encounters TEDEd has been an eye-opening experience. It is incredible to see how much we are already applying our faith in our lives. Not everyone experiences faith in the same way, and therefore not everyone has that same connection to it, but no matter what, Encounters TEDEd is a great way to explore your faith because once you start writing your TEDEd Student Talk, and you realize how the curriculum connects to what you are trying to say, it helps you better understand what your faith means to you. If you are not someone who engages with faith for your own reasons, this is a fantastic opportunity to connect with other Ismaili Youth, share your understanding and feel more a part of the community.
Lastly, while creating a TEDEd Student Talk is one of the main goals for youth in Encounters TEDEd, we are introduced to a vast number of leadership opportunities by having the chance to be a part of creating the conference. While getting to explore different teams such as Community Engagement and Communications and Media, I have learned how to prepare for an interview, I have learned how to contact people of different professions, and how to be organized on a professional level, I have also learned more about marketing and media, and how it plays an essential role in the success of an event. While getting to be a part of an amazing team, create a talk, learn skills, and build new connections with Ismaili youth and teachers from Vancouver and across Canada, as well as meeting the TEDEd Global team, TEDEd is an amazing community that I will always be able to be a part of whether that be as a mentor, an alumni, or even continuing at my post-secondary institution. If you have not yet entered grade 11 or 12 and you are reading this post, I hope you take the opportunity to be a part of this amazing community and join Encounters TEDEd!
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