Westover Students Share Their Stories through Ted-Ed Student Talks Program
In its second year, eleven community members took center stage in Westover’s 2026 Ted-Ed Student Talks hosted by Dori U. ’27 and Thu Ha N. ’27. The audience in the Louise Bulkley Dillingham Performing Arts Center leaned into the stories of Westover students and faculty.
Ted-Ed Student Talks is an educational program that helps foster critical thinking, public speaking, and storytelling skills by providing students the opportunity to share their big ideas in the style of TED Talks. This year’s theme for the Ted-Ed Student Talk program was “My Story.”
“We wanted to create a space where students could share more about who they are and learn more about their peers,” Dori shared. “TED-Ed gave students an opportunity to express their ideas, passions, and personal stories in a meaningful way.”
For her presentation, Dori shared how she is embracing her passion for ghost stories, something she used to view as an uncommon interest, and the success that has come from her academic pursuits of these stories.
“Sharing my story with Westover’s community meant a lot to me because it allowed the audience to realize their ‘weird’ interests could turn into success” – Dori U. ’27
Through her passions for storytelling and folklore, Dori won the first prize at the Young Persons’ Recitation Contest in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. This experience impacted Dori so positively that she plans to study either anthropology or folklore in her college career.
Ha highlighted how she improves her time management and stays grounded everyday at Westover by thoughtfully carving out time for self-expression and reflection.
“Novelty is an important factor that impacts my time management abilities,” Ha shared. “When days blend together, it can be easy to slip into a state of autopilot and burn out. Since I started journaling, I have become more emotionally balanced and found it to improve my mental clarity. It helped me avoid slipping into a state of autopilot and really treasure each living day.”
Dori and Ha intend to host the Ted-Ed Student Talk program again in their senior year. They hope it continues to serve as an opportunity for their peers to share their big ideas and for all participants to learn more about Westover’s community members on a deeper level. Most of all, they hope this program can be passed down for future generations of Westover students to participate in and bring further innovation to campus.
Be Boldly You
Westover School admits students of any race, color, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin, or disability to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. As a gender-diverse girls school, Westover welcomes applicants and students who are assigned female at birth and/or identify as girls. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational policies, admissions and financial aid policies, and athletic or other school-administered programs.