I used to stare at an empty classroom and a row of wooden desks, rehearsing my English speeches for my intense competitions until the security stuff came in to hurry me back to my dorm. SUCH A COLD LADY... Well that scared kid would never have believed he’d one day hold a microphone on the TEDx stage.
When invited as the key student speaker for TEDxZZJC, I moved away from a typical academic script. Seeing so many peers struggle with stage fright and self-expression, I wanted to deliver something genuinely useful—sharing the raw, real experiences that fueled my path in a talk titled “Circle of Growth.” I pulled back the curtain on my own trajectory—from learning French to unlock new worldviews, to dissecting complex cases like Dior’s cultural appropriation issue, and reframing beauty through Chinese symbols like the jade ring designed by myself. My goal was simple—to show that linguistic and intercultural competence aren't just technical skills; they are how we redefine ourselves and engage with the world.
Preparing for that stage meant revisiting every milestone: from my early media work with Zhejiang Media Group to building an international student community linking minds from Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard. Moving from a content consumer to a platform curator taught me that my voice is as powerful as the space I create for others.
Ultimately, taking the TEDx stage reinforced why I tell stories in the first place. By sharing my path through Eastern and Western perspectives, I hope to inspire young global talents to embrace their unique identities, speak their truths, and realize that their voices can shape the world.
