The Girl in the Mirror - Learning to Choose Yourself | Yixuan Li | TEDxHopkinton HS Youth

Yixuan Li, a junior at Hopkinton High School and founder of the nonprofit She Builds The Future, gives a TEDx talk on how caregiving expectations shape women's lives across generations. Drawing on personal experience as the oldest sister in her family, she connects caregiving to identity, self-worth, and the ability to choose oneself. The talk, given at an independently organized TEDx event, encourages girls to see themselves not only as helpers but as individuals who deserve space, ambition, and self-worth. It combines personal stories, research, and her nonprofit work focused on education, health, and leadership.

• Caregiving expectations and their effect on women across generations
• Personal experience as the oldest sister in a family
• Identity, self-worth, and choosing yourself
• Her nonprofit She Builds The Future and its focus on girls' education, health, and leadership

“The Girl in the Mirror,” by Yixuan Li, is a powerful reflection on how caregiving expectations shape women’s lives across generations. Through personal stories, research, and her nonprofit work, the talk encourages girls to see themselves not only as helpers, but as individuals who deserve space, ambition, and self-worth.” Yixuan is a junior from Hopkinton high school and the founder of She Builds The Future, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering girls through education, health, and leadership. Growing up as the oldest sister in her family, she learned early what it meant to be responsible for others. Over time, that experience led her to reflect on how caregiving shapes identity, self-worth, and the ability to choose yourself. 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