Episodes
Thursday May 16, 2019
Thursday May 16, 2019
In his #SeniorChapelTalk, Kyle Nevitt reflected on the many accomplishments of his grandfather–his hero–ranging from pole vaulting to becoming a Navy Seal, and shared the wisdom he passed down. “The real heroes,” his grandfather told him, “are those who spend time getting an education and use that education to make the world a better place.” Education is a platform for making a long and lasting impact. Help one or help many, but leave the world better than you found it. “Use your education,” Kyle encouraged his peers, “and be a hero.”
In her #SeniorChapelTalk, Annie Notzon spoke about how iron sharpens iron…how members of a community–family–can strengthen one another. Through childhood memories, she painted the picture of her own family and how they work together as a team. But, outside of that, she was afraid to open up and be vulnerable. It wasn’t until a close friend needed her that she realized friends always see the best in you. Letting people help you is what makes you strong, she said. “Our community, constantly sharpening each other, is our strength…open up when you are hurting and be there for someone that is.”
In the final #SeniorChapelTalk of the year, Manaal Salman spoke about the power of the brain and the importance of learning–how we are constantly learning, everywhere and every day. She shared why we must never take an opportunity to learn for granted and why we need to share the knowledge we have; teaching others and leading by example. “The great power that you possess is the ability to learn,” she said. “Use it to it’s full potential…Live as if you were to die tomorrow, but learn as if you were to live forever.”
Thursday Apr 25, 2019
Episode 54: Jenny Qi and Ben Hirsch '19
Thursday Apr 25, 2019
Thursday Apr 25, 2019
In her #SeniorChapelTalk, Jia “Jenny” Qi spoke about her experience as an international boarding student, thrust into a new culture and feeling lonely, missing her family back home. Misunderstanding the lack of communication from her parents, she began to feel isolated. But when she returned home the next summer, she realized just how much her family missed her and loved her in return. “Now I realize no matter who you are and where you are, your family is your biggest support.” I am thankful for my family, she said, “because without their teachings, I would not have become the person who I am now.”
In his #SeniorChapelTalk, Ben Hirsch shared a story about kayaking down the Guadalupe River with his friend, when they spotted a calf stuck on a ledge. Buzzards were already circling, waiting. Not able to ignore it, they set out to save the calf. In order to help it, they had to push it into the water and then hold up its head as it swam to shore. Much like the calf, sometimes in life, we don’t realize when we need help. Let others help you in times of trouble and always keep fighting.
Thursday Apr 11, 2019
Episode 52: Kristina Samuel, August Schmidt, Andres Thrailkill, and Mia Jamison '19
Thursday Apr 11, 2019
Thursday Apr 11, 2019
In her #SeniorChapelTalk, Kristina Samuel described a typical day as her 7-year-old self and her ability to see the beauty in everything. During adolescence, however, her competitive drive led to anxiety and doubt. But, a summer experience as a volunteer at Camp CAMP reshaped her view. It’s a place where anything is doable and dreamable. “I now find myself more often being inspired, not threatened, by others’ intelligence and passions…Success is having enough confidence, courage, and willpower to go after your passions without being tempted to measure yourself with things that don’t align with this.” Sometimes, life is about realizing who you were from the very beginning.
In her #SeniorChapelTalk, August Schmidt shared the recipe for Pad Thai–explaining how the ingredients, which seem so different, create something amazing when combined. It’s also how she views her life; appreciating the fact that every moment, good or bad, is part of what makes her who she is. There will always be ups and downs in life, she said, but it’s the balance between the good, bad, and mundane that keeps life interesting. Live your life to the fullest, “there is so much joy and light in the world to be found.”
In his #SeniorChapelTalk, Andres Thrailkill told the story of how a close friend encouraged him to join the cross country team and gave him both support and motivation when he was struggling early on. He grew to love the cross country team; it strengthened his leadership skills, gave him a chance to disconnect and de-stress, and was a community that supported one another. My friend didn’t know that he would show me something I loved, but spent the time and effort anyway,” he said. “I challenge everyone to try and be the friend who cares deeply enough that you push someone to strive for greatness.”
In her #SeniorChapelTalk, Mia Jamison spoke about her future self–that she is terrified of her. She shared her struggles in making decisions, always worried that the wrong one will veer her off course. “We all have self doubt,” she said, but the truth is, most of our daily choices don’t affect us in the long run. Have faith in yourself, she told the community, and trust that your future self can handle the situation when it is time. For now, “trust yourself to perform well…trust yourself to make it through the next day, week, and month. Give yourself some credit, it might all work out in the end.”
Thursday Mar 28, 2019
Thursday Mar 28, 2019
In her #SeniorChapelTalk, Annie Masterson shared her competitive drive with the TMI community. But, unlike others who could simply shake off not winning, she would spiral downward–viewing defeat as complete failure. Over time, she began to view this combination differently; her competitiveness was really a passion without fear. Though she still struggles to reign in her emotions at times, she’s learned that failures do not define her. “I will always have my friends, my family, and God to embrace me and my imperfections.”
In his #SeniorChapelTalk, Will Oliver spoke about the love he has for his family–not just blood relatives, but the friends and communities who have come into his life and become his extended family. From his coaches here at TMI and his teammates to his teachers and classmates (old and new), family is made up of the people who are always there; through good times and bad, play after play. “I’ve been able to find my family, make sure you find yours.”
During his #SeniorChapelTalk, Colby Guillory spoke about his guiding forces from deep within. He shared a few humorous stories of what was clearly destined to be–from winning a bet playing rock, paper, scissors to being chosen for the Punt, Pass, and Kick contest at a football game…and losing. In a moment of clarity, he realized that everything up to this point had happened for a reason…even if the purpose was still yet unknown, “and I can only pray that for whatever moment I was put on this earth to participate in, I have the eyes to recognize it.”
Viewing his entire life as a competition, Eric Lull shared in his #SeniorChapelTalk how this mindset, paired with a crippling fear of failure, created a war-like environment in his head. He tried to achieve balance by setting attainable goals, but still found he felt like a failure. But the summer before his junior year at Camp Capers, one message resonated with him–when we do things out of love, we find happiness, meaning, and success. He realized his previous struggles were because he had fallen out of love with the process of perfection. Discovering this, he created three rules to live his life by: love yourself, love others and the world around you, and live for love.
In his #SeniorChapelTalk, Sucheng "Sam" Shi spoke about option bias. From choosing to accept a ride from an unsafe driver because it is the only transportation available to telling ourselves we can get by with less work when we succeed on a test we didn’t prepare for, our subconscious uses overly-optimistic thoughts to guide many of our decisions. But, no matter what actions we take, we are responsible for the consequences and “by being responsible for our own actions, we’re also keeping possible dangers and unforeseen accidents from people around us–especially for those who we love and care.”
Thursday Mar 14, 2019
Episode 48: Walker, Jung, Neiman
Thursday Mar 14, 2019
Thursday Mar 14, 2019
In her #SeniorChapelTalk, Trinity Walker shared her struggles during her six years here at TMI and how they shaped her view of failure and the value of people around her. She recalled one experience of running hill repeats with the cross country team. Realizing she was far behind her team members, the pride and accomplishment she’d felt moments ago, vanished…until her team captain congratulated her and gave her a few encouraging words. “Failure is an inevitable part of life,” she said. But, we have to learn how to deal with failure in a way that doesn’t make us give up and instead gives us a new level of energy to push us to our goals. Everyone is struggling and it’s the responsibility of each of us to be an encouragement and remind each other that, “you’ve got this.”
In her #SeniorChapelTalk, Eun Bi “Kelly” Jung spoke about love–it’s complexity and what it is to live a life of love. From simple gestures of showing someone you care to loving yourself and being vulnerable, love spurs growth, hope, happiness, passion, and beauty. As she described love through her experiences here at school, she said simply, “love is TMI,” and reminded the community that it surrounds us here.
In his #SeniorChapelTalk, Alec Neiman shared his grandmother’s struggles with bipolar disorder. He described in detail her breaking point, the moment that she fired shots at her husband then fled to their home. His grandmother, like many others who suffer with mental illness, felt embarrassed and tried to hide her illness from the world. But, mental illness needs to be addressed. “I want people to hear my pain and feel the suffering my family has gone through and know that mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of,” he said. “Never hesitate to ask for help…treasure your loved ones…be the support that others seek; you may just save a life.”
Thursday Feb 28, 2019
Thursday Feb 28, 2019
In his #SeniorChapelTalk, Jake Flinn shared the story of his younger brother being born with a rare, life-threatening condition. After many months, surgeries, and medications, Jake's little brother Matt was able to come home from the hospital. There were many challenges and Matt's medical journey wasn't finished, but every time Jake looked at his little brother, he was smiling and happy. Fast forward 16 years later and Matt is 6' tall and in perfect health. "There is no one else in this world I'd rather call my brother," Jake said. "I hope all of you value and are thankful for your siblings and relatives...Matt, you're an amazing friend and brother...you were, and are, a huge blessing to the Flinn family."
In her #SeniorChapelTalk, Shufan "Victoria" Yin shared the struggles of her grandfather who, at the age of 16 and the oldest child, took on the responsibility of supporting his family. He lived the history that she only read about in textbooks, Victoria said. In learning to understand his perspective and experiences in life, she began to also understand the differences in opinions between them. "Don't rush to a conclusion and confine others to a category," she told the community, "there are always stories behind their actions."
In his #SeniorChapelTalk, Zi Wen "Owen" Guo shared how his pursuit of perfection over the years often prevented him from starting or finishing a project. It was only when he joined the robotics team, that he learned the importance of sometimes implementing an imperfect solution in order to reach the goal. Duck tape and zip ties may not make for a perfect and elegant robot, but they are suitable tools that can serve a purpose to keep a robot functioning during competition or meet a deadline. "Whenever your hard work doesn't translate into your dreamed results," Owen said, "take a step backward, let go of what you have imagined and adapt. That way, you might actually get closer to your goal."
In his #SeniorChapelTalk, Jiyang "John" Chen introduced systems thinking to the community to guide us in looking at the entire world through this lens. From small actions to major events, all things are part of the system. He spoke of the human nature to search for meaning, explaining that meaning itself relies on information. So when you have inefficient systems, they lose information–lose meaning. Circling back to the community, he encouraged everyone to keep an open mind, be courageous in expressing oneself, and be open to information.
Sunday Feb 17, 2019
Sunday Feb 17, 2019
In her #SeniorChapelTalk, Yiling "Elaine" Qiu spoke about her experience volunteering to teach English in a remote village to students who only spoke Tibetan and couldn't understand her Mandarin. She quickly had to adjust her well-prepared plans and began teaching by cultivating their interest in the language. What she learned in the end, is that it's important to understand where other people are coming from–their situations and experiences in life–and to put yourself in their shoes. Having this understanding gives us empathy; and though it may be hard, it matters.
In his #SeniorChapelTalk, Ruiming "Clinton" Ma showed his mind palace to the TMI community–a star-filled night sky. In it, every person and memory in his life is represented by a shining star. These stars remind him that he is loved, that he should give love, and that everyone of us should look upon our own stars and recall the lucky, joyful, and precious moments of our lives.
Sunday Feb 10, 2019
Sunday Feb 10, 2019
In her #SeniorChapelTalk, Inaara Bhayani shared the ups and downs of living with someone who has bipolar disorder. She spoke about how it affected her own confidence and self-worth, sharing how hard it was to both admit and accept that she needed the help of others to overcome the emotional toll it took. “We all have something we’re struggling with,” she said. Remember that “no problem is too small to talk about.”
In her #SeniorChapelTalk, Isabella Castano spoke about how she has grown up to depend upon her friends and family and the critical role they play in her life. While she is grateful that TMI has helped build her independence, she has learned to accept and appreciate the fact that she depends upon the people who are closest to her to be a part of what makes life fulfilling.
In her #SeniorChapelTalk, Madeline Miller shared her great grandfather’s journey and the story of how he started Bill Miller Bar-B-Q restaurant. But the road to success wasn’t easy, she said, and told of the struggles the restaurant faced in it’s early days. To keep the restaurant in business, her family began “working together to support one another” and over the years it grew to become the famous chain we know today. Last summer she joined in the tradition and chose to make her first job at the restaurant. Its “success and growth is due to family,” she said, and no matter what the question is, “family is the answer.”
During the summer of his junior year, John “Jack” Torpey tore his ACL and was devastated to learn it meant no sports for at least six months. The course of his senior year was radically changed. His recovery was painful, difficult, and frustrating, but the injury taught him that we are not invincible, we are human. This new perspective gave him the mindset to push forward. He reminded the community that the people who support you the most are all around you, and they want you to succeed. We all face challenges, he said, “pain is inevitable, but suffering, that's a choice.”
Sunday Feb 03, 2019
Sunday Feb 03, 2019
During his #SeniorChapelTalk, Shangzhi "David" Jiang described a chance meeting of a younger boy while he was home one summer and lifting weights at the gym. Curious at the boy’s excitement in learning that he attended school in the United States, David soon realized this boy didn’t have the opportunity to attend any high school because he had to work full time to help support his family; his dream of becoming a professional soccer player, long forgotten. The stark contrast to his own situation taught David the importance of holding onto his dreams and not letting life strip them away, “protect and cherish your dream…and hold it tight without losing it like the boy.”
Silence is awkward, but it can also be stronger than you think, said Wyatt Seal during his #SeniorChapelTalk. He shared how his bond with his mom was strengthened as a young child from all the time she helped him with his homework; while the bond with his dad was strengthened from hours of silence, sitting in a deer blind. “It’s really quite funny how well you get to know someone even when no words are spoken,” he said. He explained how the enjoyment of hunting for him, is not in killing a deer, but rather, “I hunt because I like to sit in a 4x4 box for hours of silence with my dad.”
“You have the ability to create and decide your own path,” said Briana Quintanilla in her #SeniorChapelTalk. She talked about the pressure to follow her peers on their paths; realizing the hard way that her path to success was in a different direction. When she learned to embrace her own passions and identify her strengths, she experienced a new kind of stress that motivated her to push through knowing the final result would be rewarding. “You are your own person…have your own judgement and follow it.”
Sunday Jan 27, 2019
Sunday Jan 27, 2019
Throughout her life, Jordan Bell always tried to blend in. In her #SeniorChapelTalk, she spoke of how she struggled with being shy and was always concerned about what others would think. During her sophomore year, she was determined to break out of her shell and joined the softball team. This opened up her world and slowly, she let her true self shine through. Becoming more confident every day, she told the community to remember that, “You are beautiful and amazing, just the way YOU are.”
During his #SeniorChapelTalk, Caleb Braha described in humorous detail the awkwardness of life as a Middle School student. Looking back, he laughed at his forced attempts at trying to make friends as a child. But, it wasn’t until high school that he realized he had spent all his time trying to live for others and not himself. He stopped caring what others thought and embraced the activities he enjoyed and things that made him laugh. Through discovering himself, he also found others who shared his same interests…and along with that, he found true friendship. “Whatever you do,” he told the community, “do it for you…have friends and enjoy your life.”
Yiyang “Louis” Liu smiled as he shared a story about joining the baseball team–a sport he knew nothing about–and how excited he was when he ran past second base…exactly as he had done on first. But, he turned around to discover his team upset…learning after, he was supposed to run to it and not past it. Afterward, he felt great disappointment and failure. Louis shared a few more humorous stories and explained that while our emotions may help us to make quick decisions and life more colorful, if they are not kept in check, they can also lead to poor decisions and unnecessary pain. “Just as there is an optimal workload for machines,” he said, “there is a prime range for the intensity of emotions that make your life the most sensible and stable.” So the next time you’re in a situation facing extreme emotions, remember to “keep calm and carry on.”
During her #SeniorChapelTalk, Lorelei McDowell shared the deep and lasting impact that her faith has had on her life. Both TMI and her church have given her knowledge and a strong moral compass that has prepared her for the next phase in life. “Thank you to the school teachers and coaches [who] have helped me become stronger mentally, physically and spiritually.” She said, “Lastly, to the Corps, thank you for keeping the traditions at TMI alive.”
Sunday Jan 20, 2019
Episode 36: Senior Chapel Talks by Oluwatomike Falebita and Cody Trevino '19
Sunday Jan 20, 2019
Sunday Jan 20, 2019
Oluwatomike “Tomike” Falebita described herself as a people pleaser during her #SeniorChapelTalk. She would do anything to help other people feel better and felt tremendous guilt if she let anyone down. When she came to TMI in the 9th grade as a boarding student, she felt alone and desperate to avoid the challenges of a new school and new environment. But, one comment from her parents during that freshman year, gave her a new perspective. They told her that she had to live her own life, for herself. This one statement allowed her to look at things differently and face her challenges head on; she was ready to seize the opportunities right in front of her. Pay attention to yourself and your own needs, she said to the community, “you are worth it.”
During his freshman year at TMI, Cody Trevino’s older brother signed to play football with Trinity University. That is when, he told the TMI community during his #SeniorChapelTalk, he set his goal to play one more year of football with his brother in college. For the past three years, he’s been preparing for this goal by working harder on his grades and training more on the field, knowing that his competition might be bigger, stronger, or faster. Then, during this past summer, he received a call from one of the Trinity University coaches who told him he’d been asked to make an early commitment decision and sign on as a Tiger. “Picture your dream,” he said, “work hard to accomplish it, and don’t let setbacks keep you down. My brother is still currently a running back at Trinity and I realize I may not get much playing time my first year, but I will finally have achieved my dream of playing on the same team as my best friend.”
Sunday Jan 13, 2019
Sunday Jan 13, 2019
In her #SeniorChapelTalk, Bridget Lynch spoke about being truly reckless–finding uninhibited creation. Her reckless moment happened while daydreaming under a tree in the southwest one summer. As humans, we tend to want to be comfortable, content and satisfied...we stray away from walking along the edge of life, experiencing new adventures and taking risks. We gravitate toward the center and stay there, tethered. But we become accustomed to the beauty when we're in the center, it becomes mundane and dull. "I thought that I wasn't enough," she said in describing herself before that moment of recklessness, her life dulled by remaining in the center. Part of being reckless is realizing that part of life is attaining satisfaction for yourself; knowing that you are enough. In that moment, she learned to let go of self doubt and self-imposed barriers and found genuine happiness. She found spontaneity and the ability to walk along the edge again, and encouraged the community to "explore the limits of this limitless universe."
In her #SeniorChapelTalk, Entong “Jessica” Zhou shared some of her struggles as an awkward teenager. She laughed about being confused when she arrived in America from China for 8th grade and discovered everyone was asking her the same question, “Hey what’s up?” All she could think was, ‘the sky’ and what an odd question it was. The awkward moments made her miss and appreciate home, but she told herself things would get better and that it just needed time. Over the next year, however, an old childhood friend passed away and her grandmother was starting to lose her memory. What time taught her was that every moment in life is precious. When it’s hard to keep going, she said, “stop for a while and look back at those best memories…they will keep you moving forward.”