Gabrielle Raill is the camp director of Camp Oureau, a bilingual residential camp designed to inspire girls. As her talk outlined, Raill is also an adult diagnosed with both dyslexia and ADHD. As such, her interests often lead her to find new ways to learn, and new ways to think about intelligence.
Raill’s talk began with a recollection of her initial ADHD diagnosis.
“[I was] so on the spectrum that I didn’t need the test,” said Raill.
Though her dual diagnoses ensured that her high school teachers disregarded her abilities, Raill explained that the lack of support only inspired her to challenge herself to strive farther. Eventually, Raill graduated with a degree from Concordia University, landing a job as a teambuilding specialist at NASA.
Raill concluded her talk by identifying the need for teachers and other educators to be able to better connect and understand their students. For those looking to learn from her own experiences, Raill suggested that the best learning occurs at the intersection of accessibility, sharing, and taking healthy risks.
Photo By Dana Bellamy
Great article regarding the speakers at the 7th TEDxGuelpU event! The amazing hosts of the event were 11 TED passionate students from the University of Guelph. And we are thankful for all of our event sponsors including many UoG student councils, Guelph Chamber of Commerce, and local Guelph businesses.
The TEDxGuelphU team did an outstanding job! It was an inspiring day wth incredible speakers, attendees, and the wonderful organizers. It was an honour to be selected to be a part of it!