Stories we don't tell in academia: Sarah Rostom at TEDx McMaster U

Sarah Rostom is a 4th year Honours Arts & Science student. During her time at McMaster, she has engaged with pedagogy, teaching, and research in many different capacities. Sarah has worked as Teaching Assistant in both the Arts & Science and Health Science programs while conducting global public health research in her own program and the Faculty of Social Sciences. Her work has been recognized in academic and peer-reviewed journals. She believes she cannot acknowledge her successes without acknowledging the process by which they were made possible: never-ending stress, consistent late nights, and incessant comebacks from poor grades, rejected applications, and personal challenges. She hopes for an academic culture that recognizes this part of success stories.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)