We were reminded again of the power of story with today's keynote speaker, Tererai Trent. Born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and raised during her country's fight for independence, she married young, had children quickly, and endured years of domestic violence. Education was not allowed for girls, but Ms. Trent learned to read by doing her brother's homework. Through it all, she never let go of her dream to pursue a formal education - bachelors, master, and PhD. Making a long story short, Ms. Trent eventually moved to the US, earned a GED and the achieved her dreams. Now she is focused on giving back by building schools in her native country and fighting against domestic violence and the spread of AIDS through education. There were too many amazing messages to note here, but Ms. Trent's bottom line was about empowering children, and that when we do anything is possible.
I think we've all listened to amazing personal stories that sometimes seem too much about a singular experience and drive and as such are difficult to connect with. Ms. Trent was special because she connected her experience to all of us - to me, at least - in a way that humbles AND inspires AND motivates. No matter who we are, where we come from, or how bad our circumstances, we can all live a life of purpose and a life with meaning.
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