William Khabbaz talks identity and struggles fitting in
Meghan Hendricks | Photo Editor
His talk is titled “When There’s A Will, There’s A Way,” which doubles as a pun for his name.
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Editor’s note: This story contains details of eating disorders. If you are struggling with disordered eating contact the National Eating Disorder Awareness hotline by calling 800-931-2237 or by going to https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/.
William Khabbaz is a Syracuse University junior majoring in public relations who is originally from Sarasota, Florida. A writer for Zipped Magazine and a brother of Phi Kappa Theta, Khabbaz hopes to follow his love for communications, fashion and entertainment to a future career.
On April 9, Khabbaz will give a TED Talk on his journey to this point in his life and the intersection of his many identities.
The transcript of the interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
The Daily Orange:
What will you be giving your TED Talk on?
William Khabbaz:
My TED Talk is called “When There’s A Will, There’s A Way,” that’s the title of it. And it’s essentially about my life and my struggles being a first-generation student, a gay student, a gay male in a fraternity and, most importantly, my struggles with my eating disorder over the years.
The D.O.:
Why did you choose this topic, and why is it important to you?
W.K.:
I think for myself, when I first signed up for TED Talk, being very confident and being a vocal person, especially in this time of age, it’s important for representation. And I knew that my story was something that more people struggle with than we believe, than what we think. And I think it would be great to have someone share their experiences and let people be vulnerable about their own lives through it.
The D.O.:
Why do you think this topic is going to be important to the SU community?
W.K.:
I think it’s going to be important because it’s a real life struggle. Being a college student, sometimes you’re so busy with work and extracurriculars that eating isn’t a priority. And struggles like fitting in and the stereotypes that are surrounding men and women, gay men and Black women — there’s so many stereotypes that we all have to try and fit into because society is telling us. Sometimes, you indulge in really bad habits that end up affecting your life, and your health and your mental health. It’s important for college students to take a step back and realize that life is never going to be linear. There’s always going to be challenges, but you need to overcome those challenges in order to be healthy and live happily.
The D.O.:
How did you get this opportunity?
W.K.:
So it’s through an application process, and then you do readings of a speech you write, you kind of write like a mock rough draft of what you want to say, and you perform it in front of the TEDx staff, and they choose individuals between that. I know there are only a couple students who are doing a TED Talk, and the rest of them are actually alumni or other professionals in fields across the country.
The D.O.:
What are you most excited about in giving the TED Talk?
W.K.:
I’m most excited to just be open and vulnerable. I don’t think I’ve ever talked about this issue on this broad of a scale, and it’s nerve-wracking and scary, but that’s what’s so nice about it, because I feel like I’ve gone through so much to try and help overcome my struggles. I did a lot to be at the place I am right now, and I’m just happy I can say that and happy to show the world that there is a chance and possibility to be happy.
The D.O.:
What have you done to prepare for your upcoming TED Talk?
W.K.:
You go into this process where you meet with a coach — it’s usually a person from the TED staff — and they coach you, and help you through what writing a TED Talk is (like) and the format of it. I’d have weekly meetings with Sarah Ungvary, and she would help me. I would reread my speech to her over and over again, and (she would) help me fill in those gaps that I was missing, just because I wasn’t thinking about it or I wasn’t thinking as deeply. From there on, once my speech was finished and perfected, I’ve been reading it over and over again, performing it to myself, performing it to friends.
I had a little party, where I got a couple of my closest friends, and we all went to my apartment. We had dinner, and then I read them my TED Talk and got feedback on what I could do, and that’s been really helpful.
The D.O.:
Did you face any challenges in creating and crafting your TED Talk?
W.K.:
Yeah — I think my biggest challenge has been how deeply sad it is, because I think there are moments when I cry hysterically through it. That obviously isn’t great — you don’t want to be crying in the middle of your speech the whole time. But I think just the power of reading it and making it more real every single time has let me have the ability to not cry. I’m just nervous that come the day of — it’s a very emotional moment when you’re in front of a huge crowd like that — that a tear will shed. But I’m okay with that, because I know I can control it.
The D.O.:
What do you want the audience to take away from your TED Talk?
W.K.:
I want my audience to really get that no matter how many adjectives are put on you, no matter how many labels you put on yourself … you struggle in life because of those adjectives, that you should always push through and be confident. The real you is the best you, and that’s the most important thing. It’s about living life freely and openly while understanding that it’s going to be hard, and just having that understanding helps you realize what you need to do to make it better.
The D.O.:
Is the title of your TED Talk, “When There’s A Will, There’s A Way,” a pun for your name?
W.K.:
It is! It is a pun for my name. It’s been a saying of mine for a really long time. I say it to my friends, my friends say it back to me, “when there’s a will, there’s a way,” so I’ve always kept it strong in my heart. When I wrote (the TED Talk), I knew that was going to be my title.
Published on April 7, 2022 at 2:32 am
