3: The TEDx Stage

When I was deep into my journey at Bowling Green, life felt like it was moving fast. Roles piled up, opportunities kept coming, and for a while, it felt like the dream was finally real. PLA had opened the door, leadership positions gave me a platform, and service kept me grounded.

But even while I was thriving, Detroit never left my mind. What I had seen, what I had lost, what my family was still carrying back home — that weight didn’t disappear just because I was in Ohio. It lived with me. And sometimes it made me wonder: Was I where I needed to be?

In the middle of that question came an opportunity I never expected: TEDxBGSU.

At first, I didn’t think I belonged on that stage. TEDx was for people with stories bigger than mine, right? People who already had it figured out. I still carried doubt and the pressure of trying to lead while fighting my battles. But the idea of using my voice to inspire felt worth it, even if it only reached one person. So I said yes.

For months, I prepared my talk: “Dreaming Big: Embracing Your Vision in a Content Society.” The title alone spoke to me. Society tells us to be content, settle, and shrink our dreams to what feels safe. But I knew what it felt like to carry big dreams in an environment that tried to make me small.

When the day came, I wasn’t confident. The voice in my head said I didn’t belong. But I thought of my mom giving her last, and my dad’s tough love. Both showed me resilience and sacrifice — and reminded me why I couldn’t stop here.

Life in Detroit wasn’t fair. Families scraped by on gas money, and parents fought to keep hope alive. I had a choice: let the cycle continue, or disrupt it.

So when I stepped onto that stage — red circle beneath my feet, lights in my face — I carried all of it: the grief, the doubt, the love, the lessons. For eleven minutes, I fought against the voice that told me I couldn’t. I told my story raw, not polished. I spoke about resilience, sacrifice, and the belief that we can’t let the world’s comfort zones keep us from our visions.

That moment changed me. The applause wasn’t the point. The texts, emails, and conversations afterward with people saying, “I listened, and it inspired me” — that was the point. For the first time, I realized my voice could reach beyond a classroom or a campus. It could touch lives.

I’ll never forget it. The months of prep, the nerves, the weight of everything happening around me collapsed into one moment where I proved to myself I could not only dream big, but also share that dream in a way that lifted others.

But here’s the thing: as powerful as TEDx was, it wasn’t the final destination. The stage was bright, but when the lights faded, life was still waiting. Detroit was calling. My family was calling. And I knew my next leadership decision wouldn’t be about applause or accolades—it would be about sacrifice.

So I chose the more challenging path. I decided to leave Bowling Green behind. I wanted to walk away from what was comfortable and return to Detroit — the place that raised me, needed me, and where my story had always begun. That decision set me on a new course that would test me in ways I hadn’t even imagined.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

“I saw a lot of care with your talk in how you were pouring back into your city. Whenever someone wants to pour back into where they’re from and positively impact the younger version of themselves, I know they’re stage-ready.”

— Gabe, TEDxBGSU Mentor

"Malik’s preparation showed that he was 100% focused and determined to do an amazing job and take full advantage of the opportunity given. From the hours of research he put in to the time I spent helping him prepare for his TEDx talk, it was truly inspiring.”

— Jeremiah, Close-Friend