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STUDENT EXPERIENCE
ECS Student Zoe Garellek (‘24) Reflects on her Impactful TEDx Talk
April 9th, 2024

At this year’s Founders’ Day assembly, Grade 11 student Zoe was chosen to be one of our Speakers of Excellence! She delivered a powerful speech entitled, “Silence Please”, which focused on the power of silence in a loud world; how listening is the key to growth and understanding. Needless to say, she was invited to speak at Montreal’s TEDx conference on education!

Here’s what Zoe had to say about this incredible opportunity:

“My experience at TEDx was nothing but surreal! I was ecstatic to find out that I was chosen for an event I never thought would be in the cards for me! A TEDx talk is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I knew I had to speak about a topic I deemed personally important and vital to share.

From meeting with a TEDx public speaking coach, to the rehearsal, and of course, the official day, this will be something I remember and look back on forever. As someone who is never the loudest in the room, presenting a speech in front of almost 400 people was both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. I honestly enjoyed every

minute of the whole process, and I can’t begin to put my gratitude into words! By the end, I realized that this opened my eyes up to the world of public speaking, which I would love to continue partaking in!”

Catch Zoe’s full speech below.