By Sairsha Connor

F or years, I’ve dreamed of stepping onto the TEDx red rug to share a message that matters deeply to me. As an alumna of Georgia College & State University and a current staff member for University Communications, I am grateful to share my “idea worth spreading” with such a thoughtful community.

As I prepare for the event, which will be in Russell Auditorium on Nov. 10, I’ve thought about my time as a student. I watched my first live TEDxGeorgiaCollege event in that very auditorium during my sophomore year. I pictured myself on the stage, dreaming of what I would say if given the opportunity.

Now that the opportunity has arrived, I’ve poured countless hours into writing and practicing my message. I want to share my personal story with the gender health gap, how that experience led me to pursue a master’s degree in public health, and how it taught me that we all need to understand how the health care system affects the people around us.

The process has been exciting, scary and everything in between. Helping people understand the gender health gap is deeply personal to me. I never imagined I would have the platform to spread this message at such a young age.

Harold Mock, executive director of the Institute for Leadership and the Public Good and chair of the TEDxGeorgiaCollege Board of Curators, has believed in me since I was an undergraduate. He gave me the opportunity and confidence to not only live out my dream, but also to leave audiences with a new mindset regarding how they interact with their peers in the health care system.

The event, held in partnership with TED and the Institute for Leadership and the Public Good, brings a diverse mix of ideas to the stage and to the Milledgeville community. This year’s theme is “United,” and across a wide range of topics, six speakers will emphasize the strength found when people join forces.

Senior creative writing major Tatiana Thompson will take the stage alongside me to discuss the importance of human creativity. She will share how artificial intelligence image generation, when used incorrectly, has potentially dangerous and long-lasting effects. However, she suggests there is a right way forward, and we can come together to find it as one.

“I created my talk in order to build a bridge between those who believe that artificial intelligence can do no wrong and those who think artificial intelligence has no purpose,” Thompson said. “I believe there is a middle ground to this.”

Like me, Thompson has envisioned herself on that stage since her sophomore year. After watching last year’s event, she decided to apply. It was an intimidating process, but she knew the only true way to fail was to let fear stop her from trying.

As a student, Thompson understands the power of amplifying her voice. She is the first in her family to have this kind of opportunity, let alone as an undergraduate. She recognizes that the resources she’s had access to since her freshman year have fully prepared her for this moment.

“I did not do this on my own. Dr. Harold Mock, Professor Chelsey Brantley and the leadership office as a whole have guided me through college life with so much support and kindness,” Thompson said.

She also credits her GEM program mentor, Jessica Walden, and creative writing professor Dr. Kerry Evans as mentors who pushed her to grow.

Thompson wants other students to step outside of their comfort zones to chase their goals. As an alumna, I could not agree more with that advice.

“Do what you think might be impossible,” Thompson said. “Plan, strategize, network, think critically and never stop working to get what you want.”

Following the live event, each of the talks will be published to the TEDx Talks YouTube channel and its nearly 45 million subscribers. The global reach of TED allows us to share exactly what the Georgia College & State University community has to say.