The Benefit of Circumstances | Norberto Orellana | TEDxYouth@Miami

[Music]

[Music] [Applause]

[Applause]

[Applause] from the moment I was born the

from the moment I was born the

from the moment I was born the department of orthopaedics and the

department of orthopaedics and the

department of orthopaedics and the operating table have been a second home

operating table have been a second home

operating table have been a second home to me born with right spastic hemiplegia

to me born with right spastic hemiplegia

to me born with right spastic hemiplegia cerebral palsy I required many

cerebral palsy I required many

cerebral palsy I required many procedures to correct issues with my

procedures to correct issues with my

procedures to correct issues with my right leg in fact my most recent and

right leg in fact my most recent and

right leg in fact my most recent and final procedure was this past August it

final procedure was this past August it

final procedure was this past August it was a complete success and the key point

was a complete success and the key point

was a complete success and the key point is that I never let it stop me in fact

is that I never let it stop me in fact

is that I never let it stop me in fact it served as a catalyst because it is

it served as a catalyst because it is

it served as a catalyst because it is because it is my intention to become a

because it is my intention to become a

because it is my intention to become a pediatric orthopedic surgeon

and the key point to that is don’t let

and the key point to that is don’t let anything stop you we’re going to face

anything stop you we’re going to face

anything stop you we’re going to face many hardships and obstacles in our

many hardships and obstacles in our

many hardships and obstacles in our lives but if you take faith in the fact

lives but if you take faith in the fact

lives but if you take faith in the fact that if you believe in yourself there is

that if you believe in yourself there is

that if you believe in yourself there is nothing that can stop you believing in

nothing that can stop you believing in

nothing that can stop you believing in yourself is the key to being personally

yourself is the key to being personally

yourself is the key to being personally effective and that is the key to success

effective and that is the key to success

effective and that is the key to success let me share with you another story at

let me share with you another story at

let me share with you another story at this very moment right now I am homeless

this very moment right now I am homeless

this very moment right now I am homeless I do not have a home homelessness and

I do not have a home homelessness and

I do not have a home homelessness and poverty are often seen as the two big

poverty are often seen as the two big

poverty are often seen as the two big obstacles that will prevent anybody from

obstacles that will prevent anybody from

obstacles that will prevent anybody from achieving their dreams but I’m here to

achieving their dreams but I’m here to

achieving their dreams but I’m here to tell you otherwise before becoming

tell you otherwise before becoming

tell you otherwise before becoming homeless I remember living a pretty

homeless I remember living a pretty

homeless I remember living a pretty normal life but then I remember coming

normal life but then I remember coming

normal life but then I remember coming home from school stuff was slowly

home from school stuff was slowly

home from school stuff was slowly getting packed away the TV disappeared

getting packed away the TV disappeared

getting packed away the TV disappeared the bed was dissembled I was sleeping on

the bed was dissembled I was sleeping on

the bed was dissembled I was sleeping on a mattress on the floor all of a sudden

a mattress on the floor all of a sudden

a mattress on the floor all of a sudden I find myself in a five-by-five box

I find myself in a five-by-five box

I find myself in a five-by-five box security guards rummaging through our

security guards rummaging through our

security guards rummaging through our things whenever we came in security

things whenever we came in security

things whenever we came in security guards bursting into our room in the

guards bursting into our room in the

guards bursting into our room in the middle of the night with flashlights

middle of the night with flashlights

middle of the night with flashlights fist fights in the hallways during my

fist fights in the hallways during my

fist fights in the hallways during my first weeks of being in the shelter it

first weeks of being in the shelter it

first weeks of being in the shelter it was a very big shock to me and the

was a very big shock to me and the

was a very big shock to me and the biggest obstacle was education I had a

biggest obstacle was education I had a

biggest obstacle was education I had a gigantic stack of books and a laptop

gigantic stack of books and a laptop

gigantic stack of books and a laptop that’s a red flag to the security at the

that’s a red flag to the security at the

that’s a red flag to the security at the shelter so I had to modify what I did my

shelter so I had to modify what I did my

shelter so I had to modify what I did my strategies for achieving I did even more

strategies for achieving I did even more

strategies for achieving I did even more than that I decided to take virtual

than that I decided to take virtual

than that I decided to take virtual school classes and I put myself two

school classes and I put myself two

school classes and I put myself two grade levels ahead in math and science

that was two and a half years ago

that was two and a half years ago unfortunately as of june of last year

unfortunately as of june of last year

unfortunately as of june of last year I’m in my second round of homelessness

I’m in my second round of homelessness

I’m in my second round of homelessness but the thing is it’s really about your

but the thing is it’s really about your

but the thing is it’s really about your attitude and outlook as you can see this

attitude and outlook as you can see this

attitude and outlook as you can see this past summer I wanted to take some

past summer I wanted to take some

past summer I wanted to take some college classes at miami-dade college

college classes at miami-dade college

college classes at miami-dade college now I live in homestead so logically I

now I live in homestead so logically I

now I live in homestead so logically I would take these classes at the

would take these classes at the

would take these classes at the homestead campus but they weren’t

homestead campus but they weren’t

homestead campus but they weren’t offered there so I made the bold and

offered there so I made the bold and

offered there so I made the bold and completely voluntary decision to take

completely voluntary decision to take

completely voluntary decision to take them and miami-dade College wolfson

them and miami-dade College wolfson

them and miami-dade College wolfson downtown Miami 40 miles away bear in

downtown Miami 40 miles away bear in

downtown Miami 40 miles away bear in mind that I was homeless so I took the

mind that I was homeless so I took the

mind that I was homeless so I took the bus and the train five days a week i

bus and the train five days a week i

bus and the train five days a week i woke up at 4am didn’t get home until 10

woke up at 4am didn’t get home until 10

woke up at 4am didn’t get home until 10 to 11 some nights I also took some

to 11 some nights I also took some

to 11 some nights I also took some virtual school classes to fulfill

virtual school classes to fulfill

virtual school classes to fulfill graduation requirements it was a very

graduation requirements it was a very

graduation requirements it was a very tiring exhausting experience but an

tiring exhausting experience but an

tiring exhausting experience but an exhilarating one and it proved that I

exhilarating one and it proved that I

exhilarating one and it proved that I have the resolve and the belief in

have the resolve and the belief in

have the resolve and the belief in myself that nothing can stop me so

where am I now well here i stand with 72

where am I now well here i stand with 72 college credits that’s more than an

college credits that’s more than an

college credits that’s more than an associate’s degree and i’m still a high

associate’s degree and i’m still a high

associate’s degree and i’m still a high school student here i stand one of nine

school student here i stand one of nine

school student here i stand one of nine students selected to attend colorado

students selected to attend colorado

students selected to attend colorado college on a full-ride scholarship as a

college on a full-ride scholarship as a

college on a full-ride scholarship as a quest with scholar

here at Stan taking organic chemistry to

here at Stan taking organic chemistry to a phenomenal achievement for a high

a phenomenal achievement for a high

a phenomenal achievement for a high school student and here I stand the

school student and here I stand the

school student and here I stand the first high school student to be invited

first high school student to be invited

first high school student to be invited to participate in undergraduate research

to participate in undergraduate research

to participate in undergraduate research at the homestead campus of miami-dade

at the homestead campus of miami-dade

at the homestead campus of miami-dade college what I’ve done is extraordinary

college what I’ve done is extraordinary

college what I’ve done is extraordinary but i always say at the same time it

but i always say at the same time it

but i always say at the same time it isn’t and i say that because i know i

isn’t and i say that because i know i

isn’t and i say that because i know i have the power to do extraordinary

have the power to do extraordinary

have the power to do extraordinary things i know there’s nothing that can

things i know there’s nothing that can

things i know there’s nothing that can stop me but that isn’t unique to me

stop me but that isn’t unique to me

stop me but that isn’t unique to me because you have that power too you have

because you have that power too you have

because you have that power too you have the power to do unimaginably great

the power to do unimaginably great

the power to do unimaginably great things it really is all about believing

things it really is all about believing

things it really is all about believing in yourself and your capabilities so the

in yourself and your capabilities so the

in yourself and your capabilities so the key point I wanna drive here is explore

key point I wanna drive here is explore

key point I wanna drive here is explore the possibilities chase your dreams

the possibilities chase your dreams

the possibilities chase your dreams kimball your passions and always know

kimball your passions and always know

kimball your passions and always know that no matter the circumstances you can

that no matter the circumstances you can

that no matter the circumstances you can and will always find the path to new

and will always find the path to new

and will always find the path to new heights of achievement thank you

heights of achievement thank you

heights of achievement thank you [Applause]