Rachael: Hello everyone. You are listening to the Rachael Maves podcast and I'm Rachael Maves, your host. This podcast is part of the leadup to the upcoming measure what we value Summit scheduled for February 5th through 6 2025 in Fresno, California. The summit emphasizes honoring and amplifying student voices, fostering inclusive classrooms and equipping Educators with tools for impactful change. You can find more information at parsecsummit.com. Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Timi Ilori.

Timi is an accomplished ninth grade student that currently attends Liberty High School, located in Madera, California. She is involved in multiple extracurricular activities, such as piano, soccer and track. Timi has a passion for academic excellence and Community involvement, which is why she is a member of leadership at her school. Recently, Timi received the Madera County community and academic achievement award from the merea county superintendent of schools. When she is not studying or volunteering, Timi loves spending time with her friends playing soccer and going to the park. Her care for her community and Devotion to her talents are what has gotten her here today.

Timi, thank you for joining me and I'm so excited to have you on the podcast today.

Timi: Thank you, I'm glad to be here.

Rachael: So you're my first student that gets to join and talk a little bit about your story, who you are, The Summit, and I'd love for us to kick off with you just sharing a little bit about yourself, and I'd love to hear what brings you Joy, either going to school or just in life every day.

Timi: Yeah, so, as you already know, I'm a freshman at Liberty High School and since I one of the reasons I really like sports in leadership is because of my friends and the connections I make when I'm there. So one of the things that like just brings me joy in school and in life are my friends and just Connections in general. So just having fun with the people around me and just creating a good Community environment in sports especially, it's brings me a lot of joy in school and in life.

Rachael: Oh, I love that. So when you think about I mean, you're you're pretty involved in sports and academics in your school. What is like one thing that you really enjoy? Like is on the leadership side. Is there a class that you love? Is it soccer like?

Is there one that really stands out for you?

Timi: Probably the one that stands out the most is probably soccer. Especially right now, because I'm in season and also just because I don't know, playing on a team can just really help create like a really good community, even if you wouldn't have necessarily been friends with them before. It creates friendships that last a really long time because you are on a team. So IID say that stands out the most. But I mean every everything's really important to me, but I think that is just one of the most important things and it's available to really everyone. I feel like leadership, you kind of have to have like good grades, but also you have to have like a motivation to want to do like this after school stuff, like activity planning and stuff.

But soccer it's about having a passion for the sport and your team, so it's something that I think anyone can do really.

Rachael: Yeah, I love that and I. What I hear you saying too is that you get to connect with people outside of your friend group in soccer.

Rachael: [speaker uncertain] Right, exactly, yeah, spans, yeah your circle a little bit. When you think about just soccer in general and the team and teamwork, what do you feel like you've learned from being in?

Timi: Sports, I think I've learned really just how to be on a team and like what the importance of being on a team like can bring you in life. Because, really, when you're on the field and you're on your team, you're doing everything for your team. So it just teaches you commitment and loyalty and it teaches you how to be a good friend. It teaches you how to be a hard worker because, like you know, getting up in the morning for practice, staying after school for practice and still keeping up your grades, that teaches you how to be just a hard worker and also support your team.

Rachael: Yeah, that discipline and patience. Yeah, and fun, hopefully are you enjoying, do have fun too.

Timi: Yeah, that's the only reason, like, most people are in soccer like to have fun really, because, I mean, it's not that likely that people, a lot of people playing in high school are like they're not necessarily even playing to go professional, maybe some not even to college, but they are there in that moment and they're trying to put their best effort into it and they're having fun with their friends. So, yeah, I definitely have fun. I think everyone there actually really likes it.

Rachael: I love that. Well, Timi, you're going to be speaking at our Summit, which I'm so excited about, and talk about a lot of bravery and courage for a freshman coming and willing to share your story and your thoughts. So can you give us just kind of a sneak peek without giving everything away just a sneak peek about your topic, School, what's really important and what you're going to be discussing at the measure, what we value, Sumit yeah, so pretty much like the main thing that I will be talking about is that what's really important, I think, is human connection.

Timi: So one of the things I'm actually going to be sharing about Is 2020, covid season, and how that shows us how important human connection really is and how we should be putting that into the school system more than it is right now. Cuz, in 2020, it was very obvious that without that human connection, I mean everything for everyone was just terrible really. Everyone was depressed, unmotivated, and the same was for kids and teachers, so no one was really learning in that time period. So that's a little bit about what I'll be mostly talking about: just be talking about how what's really important is human connections and how school can provide that human connection for kids, and how we should be building off of that and making the school system so that kids can connect with each other and learn that way, rather than like kind of more IND Visual and just lecturing in just textbooks.

Rachael: Yeah, so it sounds like kind of two key topics: one is the importance of relationships in the classroom between teachers and students, but then students with one another. But then also like how do we make classrooms more engaging with the student and what does that mean and look like? When you think about your school experience, is there a way in which or specific teacher that stands out that really has just done a great job of engaging students in a way that keeps you involved in class and excited?

Timi: Yeah, so H I try to think honestly. I think right now in high school, because I have I've only had my teachers first semester and really I think that they each have a certain way that they have been engaging, so like, for example, in like English. I really liked when we did this project. That was like kind of infographic in steps to like become healthier, in like whatever topic that you've picked, and she allowed us to move our seats and we can move next to our friends, but the we actually I like me and actually everyone else I noticed actually use their friends to help each other out and it also motivates you to want to go to class more because, well, you get to than your friends and you get to do this project. That's actually pretty fun for most people pretty, I wouldn't say easy, but it's definitely more fun and even like just being able to talk with your friends about it and do that kind of stuff. Like that's very enag engaging for kids and I think that's one example.

Rachael: Yeah, jar, I love that. So the it sounds like the part of what really stood out to you about that is that the teacher, like everybody, had some parameters or some guidelines for the assignment, but it sounds like you got to choose what the focus area was. Right. That was absolutely exciting to you. Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, that a mark of a good teacher.

That's exciting. So, when you think about School currently, what's one challenge that you faced and how did it shape your perspective and experience in education or even in the leadership roles that holding?

Timi: So one challenge that I've always faced since I was very little is: I always want to talk with. And yeah, that's one of our human connection and the friends. Yeah, so actually I remember the first time I ever went to the principal's office in first grade and WEP to me, I know and we were sitting. I think it might have been the only time I went that like was like for like. I was like crying cuz we were sitting on a mat in front theor right and we were doing yoga, like just for fun, like for a brain break, I think it was called. And the teacher was like doing whatever, and she said Namaste.

And I remember saying, well, namama, say to you too or something like I that car was funny, but I said that and that was my third strike of talking out of turn and the teer called the office. And then I still remember that cuz I was so sad, I was like crying and all that stuff, but it just it's just funny to me and I mean that problem stayed with me until I mean now, like I still, you know, I know how to respect the teacher, like not talk when the teacher talking and stuff, but like for a lot of kids they have the same thing as me, like they just really want, they really Thrive off of human connection. So when that gets taken from them it's very hard for them to learn. And I know that there are some people who are very shy, but what I've noticed is that even people who are shy, even they Thrive off of human connection. So I think it's that's why it circles back to my point, like how I think that's really important to be put into school.

Rachael: Yeah, so it sound. What I'm hearing you say, for like the educational lens in context, is that you have this experience where there's this part of you that thrives on human connection and is wanting that in your class and the in that case in instance, it was almost seen as like a bad thing. It was like a there's a time and a place and it's not here and then how that impacted you. So when you think about just kind of your leadership right now and the work that you're doing in your school and even within your current classes, are there ways in which, like the example that you just gave with your English teacher, to help Foster some of that opportunity for the connection that you see?

Timi: Yeah, I think the main ways that we can do this, which I think a lot of classrooms do, like occasionally here and there, is really not just group work, but, I think, group conversations, so like in class it, let's say, the teacher asks a question instead of. I really don't like the idea of raising your hand. When it comes to middle school and up. I don't think I think kids should be taught. If someone's talking, then you just need to stop, wait and then you can respond to that, instead of raising your hand while someone is. Talking like it's just like when you get older, like into the real world, you're never gonna raise your hand.

So I think you should really, yeah, I think it should start being taught like just to you know, wait until someone's done talking. And I think maybe one time in middle school we were allowed to just like kind of talk regular. But it's hard for people like me too, like because we've always been taught to just you raise your hand. But really I think we should be taught to have a conversation and those kind of things. It actually gets kids really actually engaged in. It is what I've noticed, cuz it's a lot more engaging than just having the teacher lecture the entire period.

Instead asking questions and letting kids respond. Instead of having to wait to raise your hand, you can wait till someone's done talking. Then you can respond to that. I think that's one way.

Rachael: Yeah, I, and I like too the difference that you called out in between group work and actually being able to discuss thoughts and ideas, and it sounded like from what you shared with your ELA teacher. That was what being able to be around your friends, provided you guys weren't doing the project together right, you're, you're, but you're sharing your ideas and thoughts and getting their feedback it sounded like: is that exactly? Yeah, and you thrive off that. So when you think about that and you think about some of the chirer students, how do you feel like they get engaged in that study? Because we know you and that you're going to jump in and you're well, you have to say. But for those shy students that are a little bit more timid, what do you see as ways to bring them into that buold too?

Timi: Yeah, that's actually a really good question. So I think, besides just listening and just being engaged by listening, I think they can also like after that conversation, let's say, the teacher allows you to get in to smaller groups. I think that will make people who are, like, more shy, more willing to bring their ideas to the table, because you know it's a lot to have to talk in front of an entire class. Instead, it would be a lot better if, let's say, they get paired like with like, let's say like one of their friends or something, and then they can share their ideas in that way. And that's a hard one, though, because really, for people who are very shy like that, they're not going to want to really talk in that group setting. But I also think that as the class like goes on throughout the year, those people will actually be more willing to talk in those things like.

I've noticed that, like when I was a lot younger in class, when we were allowed to do the group talking and all that like a long time ago, like when I was in first grade, like that kind of thing, the kids who were really shy actually started to talk. And once you like make sure that like setting is very comfortable for them. So I think, yeah, that's what I would do.

Rachael: Yeah, well, I love what you're bringing in this piece of. If they feel validated, if they have the practice, if they have the opportunity, then it makes you braver and gives you more courage to jump in. And I bet you've seen that with soccer too. In your journey with soccer, huh, like getting some wins and then making you more deid and on. Field. Yeah, so what ADV advice would you give to other students who want to make a difference in their schools or communities?

Timi: So the advice I would give is that you need, I think, three main things if you want to really make a true difference or impact in your school or community, and those things are a goal, a plan and, most importantly, a purpose. Without one of those things you it will be very unlikely that anything will happen from like, any difference will be made. I think that without a plan, you can't reach your goal and without a purpose you can't make a plan or a goal. So I think that it's important first find your purpose, like, let's say you. Let's say anti-bulling or something like that, something simple or broad, like that. You need your purpose.

So what's your purpose? To stop bullying or prevent bullying. Then you need to make a plan. What are you going to try to do to prevent this? What are you going to try to do to stop this? Let's say you:.

To, I don't know create some kind of app or something that reports bullying. I'm not saying this is going to be very helpful, I'm just making up and then, after that, you, or even before this, before or after, I think you can make your goal, and your goal can be, let's say, to have kids report the bullying and have teachers. Go off of that, or your goal could be just prevent bullying in general. But I, yeah, that's the steps I would take really, and, as you're, I think that's brilliant and I mean you've kind of put together with the best thinking around actually moving towards and accomplishing the things that you want to accomplish for not just students but for adults too.

Rachael: The, as you're in your leadership roles at school, are there things that you feel really driven towards or things that you're holding on to a specific purpose around? I'd love to hear what you're working on or drives you right now.

Timi: Yeah, so the definitely the thing that makes me really want to be in leadership is student involvement. So I really want kids to actually have motivation to go to school and something fun to look forward to and something that they'll actually want to be involved in, because for every kid not every kid likes Sports, so you have to try to make different clubs that they'll like to be a part of, and there are many clubs that a lot of kids who don't want to do Sports will like, let's say, an art club or a chess club. If you create things like that and promote things like that, it'll make kids actually want to go to school, so that after school or during school, when there's that club meeting, they have something to look forward to and they have something to go to school for and make friends and connections.

Rachael: And yeah, I love that to me. So we're we're going to wrap up. But the last question I want to ask you and this wasn't one of the things that we sent you, so I hope it's okay that I put you on the spot but what is when you think about the summit? What are you most excited?

Timi: For I'm most excited, actually, H I'm most excited to just be brave and share my ideas with a lot of people. Cuz I am kind of nervous cuz I know there's going to be a lot of people there, but I'm also excited because I know that, like have put a lot of work actually into what I'm going to say and I know that what I'm going to say is important to me and I want other people to hear it. So I'm I would say I'm just most excited to share my ideas and really show myself that I can do this and I can be brave. Cuz originally, when my dad told me, he like was like, oh, Timi, you can do this, I was like I don't know cuz I was just so nervous, but he actually helped to convince me and the rest of my family like no, Timi, you should. And I was like and this was very far away, like this was in like September or October, like a long time ago. But now I'm pretty confident and I'm excited.

So I'm just excited to just show myself that I can be brave and do something that I never done good for you, Timi.

Rachael: Well, we're, we are all so excited to H have you join us and to share your voice and your stories and the things that you're passionate about. So thank you and thank you for your time today. This was. Fantastic.

Timi: Okay, thank you.

Rachael: Parsec education is hosting the measure what we value Summit on February 5th through 6th in Fresno, California. Join us for impactful conversations on empathy, engagement, hard truths and more, alongside leaders like Shaka Booker, Rich sto, Jamila L Scott, pepper Miller and student speakers like Liliana Sanchez and Timi Ilori. Tickets are limited, so make sure to secure your spot today. Get your tickets at parsecsummit.com.

--- This transcript was created from the episode's captions and lightly edited for readability. It may contain small errors; please refer to the audio for exact wording.