James Shone, an inspirational speaker and founder of the I Can and I Am charity, gave an amusing and challenging presentation to our Year 12 students this week.

During his speech, James demonstrated to us the tremendous value of having the philosophy of ‘I can and I am’, inspiring confidence in every individual and helping understand how best to respond to serious setbacks, anxiety and general lack of self-esteem. His talk was relevant, challenging and amusing, taking a look at life in education today with advice on how to best navigate the challenges that might be faced, whilst also encouraging us to recognise that education is about the whole individual and not just academic performance.

Not only did James draw on his own story of how he lost his sight and responded to set backs, but he showed a short film about Nick Vujicic. Nick was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterised by the absence of arms and legs. The film is moving, funny and explores the power of having a positive attitude.

Further information can be found, including videos of his most recent TEDx talks, can be watched on his website https://www.icanandiam.com/