Past TEDx event

TEDxColby College

Heirloom

Took placeNovember 8, 2025
LocationWaterville, Maine, United States
FormatUniversity
Heirloom invites us to reflect on what endures—the ideas, practices, stories, and objects passed from one generation to the next. These inheritances may be tangible or invisible, cherished or contested. They live in family rituals and cultural traditions, in intellectual frameworks and ecological memory. In Maine, an heirloom might be a Wabanaki canoe, a pair of L.L. Bean boots, or a stubborn sense of local independence. At Colby, it could be a method of inquiry, a sunrise gathering on the Miller steps after Doghead, or a quiet economy of privilege that shapes who feels they belong. But inheritance is never passive. This year’s TEDxColbyCollege theme asks: What do we preserve? What do we question? And how do we transform what’s handed to us and what we hand to others—be it land, knowledge, code, culture, climate, or identity—into something meaningful for the future? From heirloom seeds to legacy software, oral histories to inherited trauma, Heirloom is a call to look both backward and forward with care, creativity, and courage.

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

  • Amanda Miller

    Amanda Miller is a senior education major at Colby College. She is a twin, loves running outside, listening to Hannah Montana, and her favorite book is Untamed by Glennon Doyle.

  • Amit Van Wyk Cai

    Amit Van Wyk Cai is a first-year student at Colby College from Namibia interested in the intersection of artificial intelligence and agriculture.

  • Christine Park

    Christine Park is a senior at Colby College majoring in Biology with a Neuroscience concentration and a minor in Art. She is passionate about connecting science, art, and community health to make healthcare more human-centered.

  • Christopher Maichin

    Christopher Maichin is a senior at Colby College majoring in Government and Educational Studies. His work explores how education and politics can bridge divides in an increasingly polarized world. He has worked across campaigns, research organizations, and media platforms to strengthen civic dialogue and broaden public understanding. At Colby, he collaborated with Dr. Adam Howard on the research initiative SexEdForGuys, which translates academic research on masculinity and education into accessible digital content. A recent fellow at the Ronald Reagan Institute's Academy for Civic Education and Democracy, Maichin's work reflects a commitment to empathy-driven leadership and the belief that listening and true reflection are the first steps toward meaningful change.

  • Emma Rothwell

    Emma Rothwell is a Presidential Scholar and researcher at Colby College double majoring in Environmental Policy and Spanish. She engages with community members through bilingual communication and advocacy for climate and social justice, both in the United States and internationally.

  • Jonathan Davis

    Jonathan Davis is a senior philosophy major at Colby College from Vermont. With a special interest in law, he works as a peer educator in Colby's sexual violence prevention classes and spend last summer working with the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security on their Sex Offender Registry Board.

  • Lamiyass Chen

    Lamiyass Chen is a sophomore at Colby College studying Government, Philosophy, and Creative Writing. Passionate about the sociopolitical implications of linguistic practices, they are interested in export how language shapes how we think, and what we can do to challenge it. Beyond the classroom, Chen can be found making ramen in the dorm kitchen, speed walking across campus, and procrastinating on a paper.

  • Nora Perley

    Nora Perley is a first-year at Colby College from Philadelphia interested in pursuing education in Government, Philosophy, and Economics.

Organizing team