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Keep Going: Learning from Trauma | Lauren Busdon | TEDxUIdaho


[Applause]

[Applause] see your goal one set but ass is not

see your goal one set but ass is not

see your goal one set but ass is not finally destroyed me deterred me or the

finally destroyed me deterred me or the

finally destroyed me deterred me or the community it is only strengthen me as

community it is only strengthen me as

community it is only strengthen me as much as we don’t want to do sometimes

much as we don’t want to do sometimes

much as we don’t want to do sometimes four passed in definers and often teases

four passed in definers and often teases

four passed in definers and often teases valuable lessons my freshman year of

valuable lessons my freshman year of

valuable lessons my freshman year of high school was in some ways the most

high school was in some ways the most

high school was in some ways the most difficult time of my life I’m sure

difficult time of my life I’m sure

difficult time of my life I’m sure everyone feels that way at some point in

everyone feels that way at some point in

everyone feels that way at some point in high school but I mean it when I tell

high school but I mean it when I tell

high school but I mean it when I tell everyone today that I felt like my world

everyone today that I felt like my world

everyone today that I felt like my world was going to end at the beginning of my

was going to end at the beginning of my

was going to end at the beginning of my freshman year at only 14 years old I was

freshman year at only 14 years old I was

freshman year at only 14 years old I was raped by an 18 year old it got even

raped by an 18 year old it got even

raped by an 18 year old it got even worse when while released on bail my

worse when while released on bail my

worse when while released on bail my rapist attacked another 14 year old girl

rapist attacked another 14 year old girl

rapist attacked another 14 year old girl throughout the following court

throughout the following court

throughout the following court proceedings I had several other young

proceedings I had several other young

proceedings I had several other young girls tell me that they had also been

girls tell me that they had also been

girls tell me that they had also been raped by the same man that year I was

raped by the same man that year I was

raped by the same man that year I was diagnosed with depression PTSD in

diagnosed with depression PTSD in

diagnosed with depression PTSD in general and social anxiety my sophomore

general and social anxiety my sophomore

general and social anxiety my sophomore year of high school is very difficult I

year of high school is very difficult I

year of high school is very difficult I failed two classes and suffered there

failed two classes and suffered there

failed two classes and suffered there bullying from both my peers and even

bullying from both my peers and even

bullying from both my peers and even teachers in my high school it comes to

teachers in my high school it comes to

teachers in my high school it comes to such a point that I spent time at the

such a point that I spent time at the

such a point that I spent time at the hospital on suicide watch and turns

hospital on suicide watch and turns

hospital on suicide watch and turns medication after medication to deal with

medication after medication to deal with

medication after medication to deal with my depression I struggled to keep going

my depression I struggled to keep going

my depression I struggled to keep going during my junior year of high school I

during my junior year of high school I

during my junior year of high school I got involved with my local drug

got involved with my local drug

got involved with my local drug coalition they offered an after-school

coalition they offered an after-school

coalition they offered an after-school program for high schoolers that aim to

program for high schoolers that aim to

program for high schoolers that aim to garner interest in positive activities

garner interest in positive activities

garner interest in positive activities rather than allow kids the time to get

rather than allow kids the time to get

rather than allow kids the time to get involved with drugs or alcohol a

involved with drugs or alcohol a

involved with drugs or alcohol a prevalent problem in my home town I

prevalent problem in my home town I

prevalent problem in my home town I experienced many great opportunities in

experienced many great opportunities in

experienced many great opportunities in this program and discovered tons of new

this program and discovered tons of new

this program and discovered tons of new interests the drug coalition went above

interests the drug coalition went above

interests the drug coalition went above and beyond to really connect with kids

and beyond to really connect with kids

and beyond to really connect with kids and help them excel I learned new things

and help them excel I learned new things

and help them excel I learned new things and made my first real adult connections

and made my first real adult connections

and made my first real adult connections because of my interest and enjoyment in

because of my interest and enjoyment in

because of my interest and enjoyment in the program the drug coalition asked me

the program the drug coalition asked me

the program the drug coalition asked me to speak at their yearly fundraiser they

to speak at their yearly fundraiser they

to speak at their yearly fundraiser they held with all their public donors

held with all their public donors

held with all their public donors I spoke to nearly 100 people about my

I spoke to nearly 100 people about my

I spoke to nearly 100 people about my experience and helped raise over $50,000

experience and helped raise over $50,000

experience and helped raise over $50,000 that would go back to more kids like me

that would go back to more kids like me

that would go back to more kids like me during my senior year I used

during my senior year I used

during my senior year I used crowdfunding and worked with my local

crowdfunding and worked with my local

crowdfunding and worked with my local domestic abuse shelter my teachers and

domestic abuse shelter my teachers and

domestic abuse shelter my teachers and my family to raise nearly one thousand

my family to raise nearly one thousand

my family to raise nearly one thousand dollars I used my own palms and work

dollars I used my own palms and work

dollars I used my own palms and work from anonymous supporters to create a

from anonymous supporters to create a

from anonymous supporters to create a see page book and self-published a

see page book and self-published a

see page book and self-published a poetry anthology titled the road to

poetry anthology titled the road to

poetry anthology titled the road to recovery the project months to complete

recovery the project months to complete

recovery the project months to complete some of the downrod is in the hospital

some of the downrod is in the hospital

some of the downrod is in the hospital with pneumonia being able to see a

with pneumonia being able to see a

with pneumonia being able to see a tangible product of my work helps me

tangible product of my work helps me

tangible product of my work helps me realize what I’m capable of

realize what I’m capable of

realize what I’m capable of just last April I was able to be I was

just last April I was able to be I was

just last April I was able to be I was asked to be the keynote speaker at a

asked to be the keynote speaker at a

asked to be the keynote speaker at a fundraiser for my hometown domestic beef

fundraiser for my hometown domestic beef

fundraiser for my hometown domestic beef shelter this shelter called the

shelter this shelter called the

shelter this shelter called the advocates posted a yearly fundraiser

advocates posted a yearly fundraiser

advocates posted a yearly fundraiser every summer and have set their

every summer and have set their

every summer and have set their fundraiser goal to $200,000 with the

fundraiser goal to $200,000 with the

fundraiser goal to $200,000 with the help of the advocates I spoke to roughly

help of the advocates I spoke to roughly

help of the advocates I spoke to roughly one hundred our two hundred people about

one hundred our two hundred people about

one hundred our two hundred people about sexual assault and violence and helped

sexual assault and violence and helped

sexual assault and violence and helped us surpass their $200,000 goal this year

us surpass their $200,000 goal this year

us surpass their $200,000 goal this year I was approached by an organization here

I was approached by an organization here

I was approached by an organization here in the u.s. called Marsy’s law for all

in the u.s. called Marsy’s law for all

in the u.s. called Marsy’s law for all this organization aims to implement or

this organization aims to implement or

this organization aims to implement or strengthen victims rights across the

strengthen victims rights across the

strengthen victims rights across the states with lots of help and with

states with lots of help and with

states with lots of help and with several other people I wrote and spoke

several other people I wrote and spoke

several other people I wrote and spoke to members of the House and Senate here

to members of the House and Senate here

to members of the House and Senate here in Idaho while the bill did pass in the

in Idaho while the bill did pass in the

in Idaho while the bill did pass in the Senate it did not pass in the house but

Senate it did not pass in the house but

Senate it did not pass in the house but we were successful in implementing

we were successful in implementing

we were successful in implementing victims rights Awareness Week in the

victims rights Awareness Week in the

victims rights Awareness Week in the state of Idaho thanks to Marsy’s law i

state of Idaho thanks to Marsy’s law i

state of Idaho thanks to Marsy’s law i found an interest in activism and

found an interest in activism and

found an interest in activism and lobbying that i never knew I had now

lobbying that i never knew I had now

lobbying that i never knew I had now let’s go back it wasn’t until the summer

let’s go back it wasn’t until the summer

let’s go back it wasn’t until the summer before my sophomore year that my rapist

before my sophomore year that my rapist

before my sophomore year that my rapist was sentenced to three years in prison

was sentenced to three years in prison

was sentenced to three years in prison and seven years indeterminate this was a

and seven years indeterminate this was a

and seven years indeterminate this was a short-lived victory when only a few

short-lived victory when only a few

short-lived victory when only a few months later my rapist appealed his

months later my rapist appealed his

months later my rapist appealed his sentence more months went by before the

sentence more months went by before the

sentence more months went by before the judge in the case decided to uphold his

judge in the case decided to uphold his

judge in the case decided to uphold his original sentence it was in my junior

original sentence it was in my junior

original sentence it was in my junior year that I attended the first parole

year that I attended the first parole

year that I attended the first parole hearing of my rapist which was

hearing of my rapist which was

hearing of my rapist which was ultimately denied in the summer after my

ultimately denied in the summer after my

ultimately denied in the summer after my senior year I attended the second parole

senior year I attended the second parole

senior year I attended the second parole hearing for my rapist and it was just

hearing for my rapist and it was just

hearing for my rapist and it was just this month that I attended the third

this month that I attended the third

this month that I attended the third everyone and anyone can be and is a

everyone and anyone can be and is a

everyone and anyone can be and is a survivor being from a rape like me or

survivor being from a rape like me or

survivor being from a rape like me or Madonna or Lady Gaga or even if it just

Madonna or Lady Gaga or even if it just

Madonna or Lady Gaga or even if it just means getting up over and over every

means getting up over and over every

means getting up over and over every morning life goes on but if you take

morning life goes on but if you take

morning life goes on but if you take anything from today

anything from today

anything from today I hope it is this so do you no matter

I hope it is this so do you no matter

I hope it is this so do you no matter what we face in life and no matter what

what we face in life and no matter what

what we face in life and no matter what gets handed to us the world does not

gets handed to us the world does not

gets handed to us the world does not stop just because we can’t deal anymore

stop just because we can’t deal anymore

stop just because we can’t deal anymore so here’s what we do we don’t stop I’m

so here’s what we do we don’t stop I’m

so here’s what we do we don’t stop I’m asking you to keep going to never stop

asking you to keep going to never stop

asking you to keep going to never stop facing down whatever challenge gets

facing down whatever challenge gets

facing down whatever challenge gets thrown at you each and every person has

thrown at you each and every person has

thrown at you each and every person has a hidden strength inside them and

a hidden strength inside them and

a hidden strength inside them and sometimes it takes the worst possible

sometimes it takes the worst possible

sometimes it takes the worst possible thing for us to find it no matter what

thing for us to find it no matter what

thing for us to find it no matter what you will prevail through your struggles

you will prevail through your struggles

you will prevail through your struggles so please keep going

[Applause]

[Applause] [Music]

[Music]

[Music] [Applause]

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