Confessions Of A Former Smart Kid | Kendall Nguyen | TEDxYouth@TranPhuGiftedHighSchool

()

Kendall's Experience as a "Smart Kid"

Kendall, a former TV host and media personality, felt pressure to excel academically due to her natural abilities and early successes.
Despite her accomplishments, she struggled to meet her mother's high expectations and experienced constant disappointment.
An incident where her mother was upset with her for getting a 9 out of 10 in math led to feelings of inadequacy and resentment.
Her nearsightedness caused further challenges and disappointment.
Kendall eventually stopped trying, leading to a decline in her academic performance.
She experienced emotional consequences such as low self-esteem, anger, and resentment.
Kendall realized she was resenting the expectation of perfection and decided to let go of that image.

The speaker, an Asian student, studied abroad in the Midwest as the only Asian student in a school of 300 people.
Despite feeling noticeable, they still lacked a true sense of self.
After gaining confidence, the speaker came out as LGBTQ+ and received support from their host mom and friends, leading to personal growth and self-expression.
They realized that being themselves brought happiness and self-love.
In college, the speaker learned about ADHD and understood how it affected their attention, emotions, and social skills.
They also recognized the positive aspects of ADHD, such as creativity and spontaneity.
The speaker traced their self-acceptance journey back to childhood and realized that setting high expectations can lead to disappointment.
They emphasized the importance of a growth mindset, where effort and progress are valued over innate intelligence.

The speaker became a talent manager at 28, embracing new experiences and personal growth.
They concluded by encouraging self-love, a growth mindset, and the pursuit of personal and professional success.