SUNY Oswego is taking on a new challenge and is planning to spread some knowledge along the way, as the school hosts its inaugural TEDx event.
TEDx talks first caught the attention of the event organizer Eason Lee when he was just 15 years old, growing up in Malaysia.
"This is the biggest stage in the world for spreading ideas," Lee said.
Lee decided to make it one of his goals to host his own TEDx event. Now, as an MBA student and graduate assistant at SUNY Oswego, his dream is coming true.
To make it happen, Lee went to two other events, TEDxOneonta and TEDxRochester. But his first application was rejected. For him, it was a lesson in resilience.
"You know, the journey is never easy, (the) journey is never just a straight road,” he said. “But we will get there, we will get there. Just one step at a time, we will get there."
Lee said he realized success requires a group effort. So, with help and encouragement from friends, colleagues, and mentors, he finally submitted a second application that TEDx allowed him to edit and eventually approved.
One of those mentors is Sandra Delgado, Lee’s supervisor and senior associate director of admissions at SUNY Oswego.
"When Eason brought this opportunity to me, I saw it as an awesome opportunity to work with students maybe in a different way than I've been able to in my current professional role, and just to bring a really exciting event,” Delgado said. “And it being our inaugural TEDx at SUNY Oswego, it's, I think, even more exciting."
With Delgado working as the event advisor and Lee as the event organizer, they were able to assemble a team of about 40 people to make TEDxSUNY Oswego happen and speakers to share their ideas. The experts include professors, alumni, students, and community leaders, and they’ll speak on everything from finding your purpose to the science of lake effect snow.
Lee said the theme is “Ideas Move People.”
"Ideas are something that will live on forever,” Lee said. “Because people can come and go, but ideas will live on from one generation to another."
Delgado, who has event organizing experience, said TEDx is a completely different type of event and a large undertaking for the team.
"It really is a collaborative group, and it's been a good reminder to me of how special our student body is here at SUNY Oswego,” she said. “They are so talented in their own areas. They each bring really unique strengths to the team."
TEDxSUNY Oswego will be held on April 11 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Sheldon Hall Ballroom on the SUNY Oswego campus. The event will also stream live on the university’s YouTube page.
Delgado said she’s hopeful the event will help put SUNY Oswego on the map.
"I think SUNY Oswego is really a hidden gem for folks, and so (it’s nice to) to be able to have that global platform, to be able to highlight and showcase the expertise and really awesome experiences and knowledge of the speakers that we've recruited for this, but to also I think share Eason's story," she said.
And Lee’s dream will not end after this week’s event. After he graduates, another student is ready to take over his role and bring TEDxSUNY Oswego and Lee’s message to the next audience.
“When you have an idea, it does not necessarily change anything,” said Lee. “But you have an idea combined with an audience, with experts, with VIPS that have the knowledge to make things happen, now, the ideas could change everything."
Watch TEDxSUNY Oswego below (live stream April 11 from 2-5 p.m.)
