Some ideas are born in a classroom, others from personal experience, and some from questions we have been asking ourselves for a long time. On October 7, six of them reached the TEDx red circle for the first edition of TEDxCISUniversity, held in Madrid before an audience of 100 people.
Under the theme “Leading Change through Education, Business, and Human Rights”, professors, students, and former members of CIS University shared the stage to talk about democracy, sports and mental health, adversity, education, opportunities, and personal transformation. Six very different perspectives united by a common purpose: to share ideas capable of sparking conversation and reflection.
The event was hosted by Lucas Murphy, a CIS University student and Master of Ceremonies for this first edition, and was also attended and supported by CIS University President María Díaz de la Cebosa.
Six Different Speakers, Six Unique Ideas
Professor Anthony Verrecchio opened the talks with “Has Democracy Ever Existed?”, a reflection on democracy beyond the right to vote and on the role of education, dignity, freedom of expression, a free press, and the responsibility of those in power.
He was followed by student Daniela Rubio Pastor with “What Elite Sport Doesn’t Tell You About Mental Health”. Drawing on her own experience as an athlete, she spoke about pressure, anxiety, burnout, and the relationship between performance and self-esteem, challenging the idea that elite athletes necessarily have to be mentally stronger.
Leticia Errandonea closed the first portion of the talk before intermission with “You Don’t Choose the Path. You Choose How You Walk It”. Drawing on her experience with cancer, she reflected on adversity and on something that remains within our control when we cannot choose what happens to us: how we decide to walk the path ahead.
After the intermission, Zachary Zemmels, a former student, presented “Why I Traded the American Dream for a Better One”. His decision to leave the United States at the age of 18 to study in Madrid and play soccer served to challenge a single definition of success and highlight the value of broadening our horizons.
Student Grace Beaufort continued with “What Rewired Me”, a story about how returning to the classroom ultimately changed career plans that had seemed perfectly mapped out. Her talk focused on the transformative power of education and on a sense of curiosity that knows no age limit.
Finally, Professor Karyn Suárez closed out the evening with “In a World That Can’t Focus, How Do We Teach?”, shifting the focus to educators. At a time when holding students’ attention is becoming increasingly difficult, she invited educators to rethink how they communicate and how they can create more human, relevant, and engaging learning experiences.
TEDxCISUniversity was created with the purpose of providing a space where education, leadership, human rights, well-being, and personal transformation could come together through ideas. Its first edition turned that purpose into something tangible: six people standing on the red circle, 100 attendees in front of them, and a university community working behind the scenes to make it all possible.
For CIS University, the experience also represents a way of understanding education that extends beyond the classroom. Students were not simply members of the audience: they participated as speakers, took on responsibilities in the organization, and worked alongside professors and professionals to turn an idea into a real event.
Because, as Master of Ceremonies Lucas put it: “Ideas can be powerful. But it is people who bring them to life.”