Sophomore, Eben Sebastian, speaks for TED Talk on the influence of taste on the human experience

By: Kailey Nutt

Sophomore, Eben Sebastian, was selected to speak for TED Talk in his speech, “Is Taste a Blessing or a Curse?,” he explains the experience and outcomes of his once in a lifetime experience.

Sebastian has now seen the glimpse of fame after doing his own TED Talk and using his voice, as a teenager, to help guide the audience through his beliefs about the experience of tasting food and how it can lead to things, better or worse. Sebastian was chosen to be the next TED Talk speaker in September 2022.

“A lot of people hold TED Talks to a very high standard…and at least a few will take it to heart,” Sebastian said.

He explains how doing his speech could be something he does in everyday life, but with the platform he was given he can communicate with even more people, and some people will watch the video and could think about what he said for the rest of their life.

“If at least one person watches a Ted Talk and maybe changed their life because of it…that’s my goal accomplished,” Sebastian said.

Coming across one of your classmates on a TED Talk is not something that happens very often. Not only does Sebastian want to encourage other students to follow their goals, but to anyone that sees the speech and gets empowered in themselves to accomplish their goals.

“We had this idea in the working for a long time, and we developed that into what became the TED Talk,” Sebastian said.

Sebastian describes his experience of how he stumbled upon the making of his speech. He explains how his family has always been conscious about what food they eat, and after doing much research and personal experience on the ingredients and the effects food puts on people, he created the idea of how taste can either be a “blessing or a curse.”

 “Many of the people doing the Ted Talk were professional speakers,” Sebastian said.

Along with only being 15 years old, Sebastian notes that he does not have the same credentials as the other speakers who held doctorate degrees and have done various studies. Even though he is just a high school student, Sebastian was able to take his experience and learn from the peers around him.

“They’d give you advice on how to change it up, inflection…etc,” Sebastian said.

Through the process of practicing his TED Talk with the other guest speakers, he describes a positive experience and learning process when having help perfecting his speech. Along with that, he notes that you do not need to be in AP classes or have all A’s. All you need is a topic that you feel deeply about.

“You just have to have something you really care about,” Sebastian said, “If you care about something enough you can extrapolate that beyond belief.”

Published 11/28/2022 – Website Exclusive