By Annie Phun

Editor in Chief

  In 2012, Gabrielino High School alumnis Raymond Lam and Sharon Liu began an event that modeled “Ted Talks,” Gab Talks, a week long event in which students and staff members were allowed to share their stories during lunch. This year, the tradition persisted from March 10-14 in the Goodson Theatre.

  Seniors Kevin Pham and Bethany Lee hosted the event, working alongside ASB to read through applications and pick a total of 10 speakers, two for each day. Applicants were told to write their speeches according to this year’s theme: “Facing Your Future.”

  Speakers are encouraged to utilize props, powerpoints, or any other tool that allow them to highlight certain events in their stories

  “When I came to [Gabrielino] as a freshman, I remember watching Gab Talks and saying ‘I want to do that before I graduate,’” stated senior Ana Jurado.

  Jurado, alongside Kevin Weir, Gabrielino’s attendance clerk, spoke on the first day. Weir discussed the obstacles he faced when his wife was diagnosed with cancer, whereas Jurado attempted to provide comfort to her fellow seniors in the midst of college decisions.

  “I talked about my life in Guatemala, a time when I thought I had no future,” explained Jurado. “I wanted to share with everyone that even if [they] come from nothing, it doesn’t mean that [they] can’t build a future for [themselves].”

  Sharing similar messages, senior Victoria Sam and science teacher Joseph Salcedo talked about their difficulties moving forward in life, Sam facing the task of choosing to swim at the collegiate level and Salcedo deciding to become a teacher in his late twenties.

  “By being excellent and doing your best daily, you attract other excellent people towards you,” said Salcedo. “Doors open as a result, and I really wanted to show students that.”

  Other speakers throughout the week included seniors Elisa Pitts and Noli Thai, as well as special education teacher Cynthia Duran and science teacher Daphne Traeger.

  “My favorite speech was Noli’s because she was brave enough to share her story simply so that others could learn from it,” stated senior Gabriel Pena.

  Through listening to their stories, students at Gabrielino were able to connect to members of the community in the form of shared experiences. As a result, different types of people on campus are able to be humanized