Final Thoughts

Presenting at a national conference on Open Educational Resources was both one of the scariest and most exciting things we’ve done. As students, stepping into a space usually filled with experts and educators felt intimidating, but also empowering. We prepared for weeks, fine-tuned our slides, practiced our timing, and tried not to panic when we logged on and saw all the people in the zoom room, waiting to hear what we had to say.

Our presentation was obviously focused on the student perspective, something we believe is too often missing from conversations about educational equity and access. We shared our experiences, the work we’ve done so far, and the reasons we’re passionate about OERs. We hoped to offer a reminder that students aren’t just passive recipients of resources, we’re collaborators, advocates, and voices that deserve to be heard.

No one asked any questions at the end, but several people did share similar experiences and perspectives in the chat, which was super cool to see. It reminded us that even if the impact isn’t always loud or immediate, sharing your perspective matters.

This experience, and everything that led up to it, has changed the way we think about education, access, and advocacy. We’re so grateful to have been trusted with this work and to have had the chance to grow through it.