Carolyn Hane

Athlete, Brainstormer, Care taker, Concerned citizen, Connector, Explorer, Foodie, Job-seeker, Student, World traveler

Born and raised in the state of Maryland (USA), I grew up figure skating competitively, and surrounded by the performing arts (music, theater, opera, you name it). Just before beginning my sophomore year of high school, I moved with my family to Tokyo, our first big move, and later graduated from the American School in Japan. I am currently an undergraduate student at Waseda University in Tokyo, studying International Relations with a personal interest in International Organizations and the health sciences, particularly that of children and their wellbeing. I have been a part of our university TEDx chapter, TEDxWasedaU for the past 3 years, and am very excited about what's to come with this being my final year as a part of this wonderful team.

Three of the most important traits we can invest in, are empathy, compassion and gratitude. Empathy often leads to compassion, which in turn inspires feelings of gratitude, be it towards what we can learn from others' lives or from what we already have in our own.

I can recall watching my first TED talk while in middle school, given by a boy named Sam Berns and him speaking about his philosophy on happiness. From then on, my family and I spent every week listening to new TED talks, and I actively tried to implement the lessons they taught into my everyday routine. It wasn't until university that I would come across the chance to join a TEDx team. Years of adoration from afar made this opportunity even more of an unbelievable privilege, something I remained convinced of to this day. I have been a part of my university's TEDx team, TEDxWasedaU, for the past 3 years and am headed onto my 4th and final year. And in terms of TED/TEDx experiences, I hope even after finishing school that there's more to come!

Embroidery, DIY projects