Episode 5: Senior Chapel Talks by Hasan Ehsan and Warren Gignac

This podcast features our first two Senior Chapel Talks of the 2018-2019 school year by Hasan Ehsan and Warren Gignac, TMI Class of 2019.

In the first #SeniorChapelTalk of the school year, Cadet Battalion Commander Hasan Ehsan asked the community to look beyond the numbers and words that characterize people and discover the narratives that show our complexities and similarities. A simple phrase–such as refugee or special needs–is not enough to define the human experience. When we recognize that others have been where we are, have faced the same emotions, and struggled with their own challenges, we become more connected and compassionate toward each other. “Every single human being–like you–is a conglomeration of diverse experiences, emotions, and decisions who deserves your respect, support, and understanding.”

In his #SeniorChapelTalk, Warren Gignac spoke about moments of transcendence. He shared his ultimate moment of transcendence when he and his partner won the prestigious LDZ Attorney Trials after a week at the youth legislative session of the National Hispanic Institute. He used this moment to describe the feeling of being on top of the word, overjoyed and unable to stop smiling. These are the moments, he said, that lift us above the hustle and bustle of everyday life and they can be as simple as listening to music or playing a sport. It is anything that makes you forget your stress and lets you live in the moment. He encouraged everyone to find their own ways of creating transcendent moments to increase quality of life, improve mental health and feel more fulfilled. When life was difficult, Warren was always told to, “stop, take a deep breath, and collect myself so that I could keep going.” Speaking directly to the TMI community, he said, “For us, moments of transcendence offer that same deep breath from the toughest assignment of all–life.”