When was the last time you boldly disrupted the story others tell about you—or rather, the story you keep telling yourself? For Erin, reclaiming her identity began with cutting her hair—an act of courage that defied expectations and broke free from labels. Erin’s story challenges you to step beyond others’ perceptions and reclaim the person only you can be. Erin Lancin is the Captain of the La Salle Debate League and the Tournament Director of the recent Archer Schools Asian Parliamentary, which concluded last May 17-18, 2025. As a National Semifinalist in NASHDC 2024 and a National Octofinalist in PSDC 2025, she has also earned the title of 3rd Best Open Speaker in SLIDE UP 2025 held in UP Los Baños last April.Beyond her list of debate accolades, she served as a student panelist for ALPAS: the DLSU-SHS Term 2 Special Elections, and is currently working on two advocacy-based projects in Business Simulation and Service Learning for the welfare of Jeepney Operators and a Housing Cooperative based in Caloocan, respectively.As a TEDx Youth Speaker, she strives for excel-lancey by redefining the perception of liberation by advocating for authentic living through small, empowering decisions. As a voice shaped by love, her words aim to ignite change from within. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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