Insights

An Exciting Opportunity

About three weeks ago, I had the amazing opportunity to attend SXSW EDU with reDesign. As one of the members of their Youth Advisory Council, I was invited to speak on a panel called “Can Young People Solve the Post-Pandemic Equation?” It is an important topic that I was so happy and passionate to share, as the pandemic was a huge event that changed many aspects of our typical lives, especially education. 

Many outcomes grew from this situation, both positive and negative. Different educational strategies were applied and altered in school systems and curriculums. Ideas like intensive tutoring to help solve learning loss, and more focus on mental health with new programs being added in schools and classes. My goal with this panel presentation was to reach my audience with a youth point of view and share how I had seen these solutions in my school, and through my own experiences.

The Teacher, the Psychologist, and the Student

I want to highlight that I have been lucky enough to experience different types of school systems and have gained a lot of experience as a student throughout my whole life. Having gone to school in three different countries, each one more different than the other has changed my perspectives and ideas as a student on the educational systems I’ve encountered. I completed elementary school in two schools in North Carolina, USA. Middle school was done in Bogota, Colombia. Lastly, High school is being finished in British Columbia, Canada. Having these experiences in the back of my pocket was super helpful when the time to answer questions in the panel came. I was able to use my school experience to back up the ideas I came up with. 

My approach is also based on things that I picked up from growing up in a very education-centered environment. My mother is a classroom teacher who has specialized in Early Childhood Education, and my father is a psychologist who over the years has worked with families, children, and teenagers of all ages in schools. During my upbringing, education has been an ongoing, significant topic for us. It’s nice to be able to discuss everyday situations from school and listen to all three different perspectives: the Teacher, the Psychologist, and the Student.

You might be thinking: Hasn’t growing up with the topic of education surrounding your everyday life put even more pressure on you, and your academic achievements? On the contrary, it’s been quite helpful in my development as a teenager. Having these points of view around me has helped me think critically and have good judgment concerning the decisions I make. It has been a comfort as well. Since my parents work with children my age and younger, they have a clearer understanding of what life is like during these stages, and it is comforting for me to know they won’t judge me or my choices. I truly am thankful to have grown into the person I am because of the environment I have lived in, and the people who have accompanied me in it.

Salome pictured with her mother and father in Austin at SXSWEdu, after the panel presentation. Salome’s educational journey spans three countries, from North Carolina to Colombia to British Columbia. 

Arriving in Austin

When I first received the list of questions for the SXSW panel, my mind started to get hard at work. I would write down ideas, develop them, and connect them with topics I had already discussed and thought of.  I relied on my experiences and organized them with further research I had done, and situations I had seen in my school.

Before attending this conference, I had only heard about SXSW once before — which is pretty surprising now that I know how important this event is on an international level. I was reminded of something that happened roughly a year ago, while I was watching a movie called “Look Both Ways” directed by Wanuri Kahiu, in 2022. In this movie, the main character finds herself attending SXSW in both a panel and presentation of her art and design abilities. When  I first watched it, the importance and impact of this event hadn’t sunk in… but a few months later, I rewatched this movie with my mom, and when we heard SXSW being mentioned in it, we both got excited! It felt like a sign being sent to me, telling me that attending and participating in this panel was right for me. 

Arriving in Austin was a truly exciting moment for me. Seeing the Austin Convention Center in person just days before my presentation was such a surreal moment. The first thing I saw when we arrived at the hotel was a long SXSW banner. Just seeing that made me thrilled to be here, and truly showed me that what I was about to participate in, was a real thing and a big deal.  It was a surreal moment… and one of my proudest!

I had the chance to attend some other presentations and panels before my own. I wanted to get a feel of the vibe and the environment that would be surrounding me for the next couple of days. The hotel and convention center were buzzing with enthusiasm and educators all around. I first attended the “First Timers Meetup” where I had the opportunity to meet other people who were also having their first experience at SXSW EDU. We received a lot of tips on the event and mostly had the space to network and connect. After, I went to the “EnchantEd: Magic Tricks to Engage & Inspire” workshop. Even though I am not an educator, the session taught me a lot about how we can make learning a more interactive and fun experience through something as creative as magic. This one was fun to be a part of, and it was a great opportunity for me to meet some teachers.

Preparing to Present

The following day was my presentation. I met with the rest of the panelists and the moderator in the green room and went over my notes. The evening before we had had a small run-through of how the panel would go, so I felt much more prepared. Something key for me was to have my ideas clear and ready to use. I created some flashcards that would help me keep myself organized during the panel. 

Being on a panel in front of many people was not my first moment taking part in public speaking, but it was the most different as it wasn’t a regular presentation. I enjoyed this format since it felt more like a casual conversation, which made it such a comfortable environment for me to explain my ideas and answers. It was inspiring to share the stage with the two other panelists I was presenting with. Hearing their ideas and opinions on the questions was insightful and I learned quite a bit from their experiences as well. I also was able to pick up some public speaking tips from them and was able to watch and learn how they expressed and communicated their ideas.

When it was time to present, I just went off my main points and started including information I had learned and picked up from my life. In the panel I was going to be discussing my personal experience during COVID, which I titled “Taking my mask off: Transitioning back to in person classes – Anxieties and Expectations”, a couple of models and activities I had taken part in with reDesign, and a couple of questions that the moderator had created for us. These initiated a conversation about the how the current solutions in school were working out, and our own opinions about them. It was a really profound exchange that I believe left the audience with a clear vision of what we were trying to communicate.

From Left to Right: Moderator Byron Sanders of Big Thought, Sydne Clarke of UnTextbooked & History co.Lab, Salome Murcia Gonzalez of reDesign’s Youth Advisory Council and Ania Hodges of Big Thought.

A Playground of Ideas

The next few days involved me going to more sessions and conferences, learning so much more, and expanding my views and horizons about the future of education — oh, and discovering more of Austin! A great way to wrap up my SXSW experience was by attending the panel about Entrepreneurship in Gen Z. I left thinking about how important it is for young people to develop the abilities and skills to create their businesses. It is a topic that can be considered exclusive and only achievable by a certain group of people, but what the panel discussed that stuck with me the most, is that the main point of teaching these skills is to make it equitable and let any student discover their passions and potential, no matter who they are. They spoke about the importance of decision-making, fostering innovation, and empowerment in students. 

One of the panelists, Julie Lammers said something that I found so valuable and critical for educators to ask students which was: “What do you like, what do you love, what does the world need, and how you can contribute to that!” I found this to be so insightful and motivating. All we get asked as students nowadays is “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, and even though it’s a valid question, it’s very limited and excludes a large part of teenagers who don’t know the exact major they want to study. This results in a large amount of pressure being applied and is not just something a person my age can decide out of nowhere. On the other hand, what the panelist said is much more encouraging and pushes students to think about their passions and a way to achieve their goals.

Reflecting on the Experience

I appreciate reDesign for helping me to advocate for youth in education. This is something I honestly didn’t know I wanted to do with my life. This opportunity has opened up so many windows and broadened my horizons. 

It was also amazing to attend with my parents! They have been my number one supporters since the beginning and it is such a wonderful feeling to know that they are seeing how much I have grown and what I have achieved. With reDesign, not only have I learned about myself and what I want for my future, but I have learned about so many other people and organizations that want the same goal we do. I have been exposed to so many new ideas about the school systems and solutions and it’s been so empowering to take part in it. I have grown my networking web and connected with so many professionals that I have learned from.

Overall, it was an incredible event to be a part of and something that I am glad I did. I learned so much from it and took a lot of these skills home! I want to keep growing with my public speaking abilities, and I hope that this isn’t the last time I attend SXSW EDU. I think getting the chance to participate in this is something that more students my age should be able to live through as it’s such a valuable moment that carries with you through your whole life. 

One final message, to all the adults reading — If you have the opportunity to take a group of your students or teenagers who are curious, and interested in change, to SXSW… don’t think twice! Listening to them, and providing them opportunities to share their voices is worth it. One hundred percent. 

To learn more about how reDesign supports learner-centered communities, check out our toolbox of key resources and explore our Future9 competencies!