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Off to an amazing start: GES in its historical context
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This is the third Global Engagement Summit that I have attended and it is clear that things are getting exponentially better as the years go on. Last night's opening remarks by summit chairs Ryan Pederson and Liz Voeller showed a great deal of self reflection on their parts and on the part of the event as a whole. Alec Ross' keynote was the best I have seen here yet. With great of charisma, he encouraged delegates to hold onto the sense of audacity that comes with the electrified experience of being a college student. He then encouraged them to be unafraid of failure. There's nothing to lose; just do it.
The tone showed an exceptionally positive evolutionary step forward in self-consciousness of the conference. In the past, largely due to its young age, some of GES's elements could have been criticized for bringing together a great group of young people and offering them an opportunity to mingle and pat each other on the back. This year, as acknowledged in their welcome, there is an understanding already that these young people at exceptional in that there here. Now it's time to ask ourselves important questions about our motivations and methods. Now its time to constructively energize, feed off of each other's passions, and make good things happen.
Last night brought me back to a specific place in GES history. When everyone at the banquet were meeting each other and delegates were talking about their projects and their school experiences, I went back in time in my mind and I remembered the first time that Nathaniel Whittemore suggested putting a conference like this together. It was a least a year before the inaugural summit and his energy was so rich and palpable. Brought back to that place, I now look at all of the new folks who have been brought to the table and I am awed by their energy and self-reflection. And I get terribly excited by all of the potential energy and thoughtfulness these people will inevitably turn into action when they take Mr. Ross' advice by embracing their senses of audacity and setting aside their fear.
-Alex Steed
The tone showed an exceptionally positive evolutionary step forward in self-consciousness of the conference. In the past, largely due to its young age, some of GES's elements could have been criticized for bringing together a great group of young people and offering them an opportunity to mingle and pat each other on the back. This year, as acknowledged in their welcome, there is an understanding already that these young people at exceptional in that there here. Now it's time to ask ourselves important questions about our motivations and methods. Now its time to constructively energize, feed off of each other's passions, and make good things happen.
Last night brought me back to a specific place in GES history. When everyone at the banquet were meeting each other and delegates were talking about their projects and their school experiences, I went back in time in my mind and I remembered the first time that Nathaniel Whittemore suggested putting a conference like this together. It was a least a year before the inaugural summit and his energy was so rich and palpable. Brought back to that place, I now look at all of the new folks who have been brought to the table and I am awed by their energy and self-reflection. And I get terribly excited by all of the potential energy and thoughtfulness these people will inevitably turn into action when they take Mr. Ross' advice by embracing their senses of audacity and setting aside their fear.
-Alex Steed
