TED Talks are short speeches that convey big ideas. Brené Brown on vulnerability. Ken Robinson on education. Kate Cesario on empathy.
Yes, we mean Kate Cesario, the 10-year-old girl who attends Whittier School.
Kate recently won the regional “Celebrate America” immigration essay contest. The American Immigration Council invited Kate to an awards reception in Chicago, during which she read her essay to a large crowd.
“She was amazing! Her family and class are so proud of her skills, heart and guts!” said Kate’s fifth grade teacher, Cheryl Lyons.
After her speech, a producer from TEDxIIT approached Kate and asked her to present at their April 10 TEDxIIT Conference. TEDxIIT is an independent TED event organized by the Illinois Institute of Technology.
The conference was themed “UnexpecTED” and included influential speeches from a CERN physicist, a software company founder, a chancellor, a former Major League Baseball player and many more.
But it was Kate who had the last word. Poised, she confidently read her essay, “Everything Country,” along with her personal insights on empathy, immigration and the intersection between the two.
“But the truth is, caring about other people isn’t a skill you have or don’t have,” she said. “It’s something we can all practice and get better at, like math or playing an instrument. If you reach out and show empathy, it benefits everyone. It improves your relationship with people and it allows you to understand what the immigrants who have come to the Everything Country have gone through. This is what makes the Everything Country a better place for everyone.”
When she finished speaking, the packed crowd of acclaimed scientists, innovation leaders and entrepreneurs gave Kate a standing ovation for her powerful remarks.
“We have a fifth grader that says if you want to work on caring in your life, it’s like working on playing an instrument,” remarked event Emcee Steve Beck. “You’ve got to work on it every day. I told you we’d have our mind blown. It’s not just something that happens. A fifth grader, sharing that. Thank you, Kate.”
The District 58 Board of Education and administration honored Kate’s achievements at their recent April Board meeting.
“We are incredibly proud of Kate’s accomplishments,” said Superintendent Dr. Kari Cremascoli. “I was especially impressed with her well-articulated insights on empathy and caring about other people. It takes courage and gumption to speak in front of such a large crowd like the one at TEDxIIT, and she did a fantastic job. She presented her points clearly, confidently, with passion and with heart. Well done!”
Watch Kate present her essay during TEDxIIT at http://livestream.com/TEDx/IIT2016. Her presentation starts at the 6:48:30 mark.