Brookline.News presented “Stories,” live at the Coolidge Corner Theater on Wednesday, May 21 from 7:30-9 p.m. The speakers of the event shared personal stories focused on resilience and transformation to the audience.
The event started off with the host Meghna Chakrabarti, award-winning host of “On Point” and former host of “Radio Boston,” stepping onto the stage and introducing the event. Following Chakrabarti were six speakers who told their own personal stories of hardship, resilience and overcoming struggles.
One speaker, senior Maria Udalova, said she began working at the food pantry in the fall of her sophomore year and said she loves working with her co-workers. Udalova had moved from Florida to Brookline for a better education and spoke about her experience.
“I don’t think I see a lot of financial insecurity in Brookline, and so if I have the opportunity to speak on it and sort of put a spotlight on some students’ experiences, I’d like to do that,” Udalova said.
Shan W. Liu, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School and children’s book author, spoke about her experience during the 2020 COVID pandemic. Liu said she was running low on ventilators, which only added to the stress of homeschooling her kid. However, Liu said she not only had to worry about her health and busy schedule but combating racism and Asian hate.
“Could I protect my kids from a hate virus?” Liu said.
Months later, as the state of the virus improved, Liu realized the books her kids read never had any heros who were Asians, so Liu wrote her own book, “Masked Hero.” Liu hopes to inspire others and share their stories as she did.
“I think everyone has a story to tell and they probably come in the least expected ways,” Liu said. “I think everyone can tell a story because everyone has a unique journey that they can share.”
Another speaker, CEO and co-owner of Viking Sports LeRoy J. Watkins III, spoke about his journey. Watkins had faced a lot of negative feelings from his family when he told them his dream was to own his own business. Watkins said his family urged him to become a lawyer, doctor or a politician. Yet he said he was determined to achieve his dream. After many highs and lows and with the help of a friend he managed to push through everyone’s expectations and become a business owner, Watkins said.
“There are so many people who have dreams and want to do something different and sometimes they just need to hear how someone else does it and to be motivated,” Watkins said.
Watkins urges those who are interested in sharing similar stories to get on stage and try it out.
“Share an experience that’s deeply personal because those are the most meaningful,” Watkins said. “Even if it’s not something that [the audience] themselves wouldn’t possibly experience, [they feel] your emotion and your power and the connection.”
