Episode 40: Senior Chapel Talks by Shangzhi "David" Jiang, Wyatt Seal, and Briana Quintanilla '19

TMI Episcopal Panthercast

During his #SeniorChapelTalk, Shangzhi "David" Jiang described a chance meeting of a younger boy while he was home one summer and lifting weights at the gym. Curious at the boy’s excitement in learning that he attended school in the United States, David soon realized this boy didn’t have the opportunity to attend any high school because he had to work full time to help support his family; his dream of becoming a professional soccer player, long forgotten. The stark contrast to his own situation taught David the importance of holding onto his dreams and not letting life strip them away, “protect and cherish your dream…and hold it tight without losing it like the boy.”

Silence is awkward, but it can also be stronger than you think, said Wyatt Seal during his #SeniorChapelTalk. He shared how his bond with his mom was strengthened as a young child from all the time she helped him with his homework; while the bond with his dad was strengthened from hours of silence, sitting in a deer blind. “It’s really quite funny how well you get to know someone even when no words are spoken,” he said. He explained how the enjoyment of hunting for him, is not in killing a deer, but rather, “I hunt because I like to sit in a 4x4 box for hours of silence with my dad.”

“You have the ability to create and decide your own path,” said Briana Quintanilla in her #SeniorChapelTalk. She talked about the pressure to follow her peers on their paths; realizing the hard way that her path to success was in a different direction. When she learned to embrace her own passions and identify her strengths, she experienced a new kind of stress that motivated her to push through knowing the final result would be rewarding. “You are your own person…have your own judgement and follow it.”