On March 6, 2019, numerous students attended the annual HomesTED talks with one of the largest turnouts in the event’s history. This event is held every year to help raise money for SHIFT, a club which then uses the proceeds to create personalized duffle bags stocked with necessities for foster kids in the Milwaukee area.

The club not only send the HomesTED Talk proceeds to charity, but it also encourages Homestead staff and students to speak about topics that they believe are important.

According to SHIFT co-president Katie Haddad, this year’s event was a special one because of the extra freedom speakers had when discussing their topics. “Typically there is a theme but this year we did sort of a free for all, kind of a chance to let the speakers talk about whatever they want, something that inspires them,” Haddad said.

The list of speakers for the event included Homestead PE teacher Susan Godfrey, who has been involved with the event for the past four years. In her speech, Godfrey shared her belief in living the simple life.

“It’s just the little things and that’s really why I feel like the HomesTED Talks are super important too because I think our world is just spinning so fast and people kind of forget why are we here and what is really the purpose of life,” Godfrey said.

Another speaker, Zack Zens, junior, took to the podium to discuss why dressing well is important to achieve success and positive initial perceptions when meeting people. When asked about his experience in the HomesTED Talks, Zens said “I have truly been gratified in both taking in the ideas of peers while also developing my own.”

The event not only illustrates the devotion that the speakers and those involved in organizing the event have to the local foster kids, but it also shows the care that the students attending have for children in need.

“The people that are the audience, they wouldn’t come on a Wednesday before a four day weekend unless they actually cared about people and the world becoming a better place,” Godfrey said.