Key Moments
Raise Your VOICE, Whenever It NEEDS | ROKSANA ANZUMAN NICOLE | TEDxKhulna University
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Key Moments
Speaking up is a necessity, not just a choice, transforming lives and societies, even when it's uncomfortable.
Key Insights
The speaker enrolled in first grade at age 4.5 and was able to write her name, her father's name, and her address, while other children were learning ABCs.
Roksana Anzuman Nicole failed to get a good HSC result, only just passing with a first-class degree, which deeply disappointed her parents.
She won a nationwide photography competition by documenting the lives and struggles of visually impaired students, despite pursuing a physics degree.
Despite being rejected multiple times, including by Sheikh Siraj at Channel I, she persisted and eventually landed a job at Channel I, the first TV channel to interview her.
She has worked at numerous television channels in Bangladesh, learning various aspects of the media industry, before settling at Jamuna Television for the last 11 years.
The speaker believes that speaking up when something is right or wrong is crucial for societal change and personally intervenes in traffic issues by stopping her car to correct illegally parked buses.
Early signs of precocity and a parent's unexpected demand
Roksana Anzuman Nicole's journey of speaking up began with an unusual display of precocity. At just four and a half years old, she was already reading and writing, prompting her parents to enroll her in school. She entered first grade at an age when other children were still learning their ABCs, demonstrating an advanced capability for her age. This early start meant she often felt like the youngest in her class, even as she excelled academically, graduating at a younger age. However, this accelerated path led to her initial enrollment in a prestigious military-run school, where her parents, unconcerned with her academic performance previously, suddenly expressed anxiety about her reputation. Her father's words, 'This school is very good, and even the college students attend it, so maintain my honor,' placed immense pressure on her, shifting her focus from simply learning to achieving to meet this unexpected expectation.
Overcoming academic challenges through sheer determination
The pressure to maintain her father's honor in a prestigious new school, where she had previously been an underachiever, became her biggest challenge. Before this, her academic performance was average, with rolls in the 13th to 20th position. The sudden demand for excellence compelled her to gather old books from relatives and neighbors and start her education from the very basics, including improving her handwriting. Despite not becoming a top performer immediately, she steadily improved, eventually securing second place among girls in a test exam and achieving a good result in her SSC exams. This period highlights her resilience and the profound impact of external expectations, even if initially daunting, in driving personal growth and academic improvement. It was a stark contrast to her previous nonchalance towards grades, forcing her to confront her academic weaknesses head-on.
Embracing independence and navigating life's first major setback
Deciding to pursue higher education in Dhaka, away from her hometown, was another significant personal choice. Her parents' financial limitations meant she enrolled in a government college and moved to a private hostel. This marked her first experience living independently, far from the protective bubble of her family. She recounted an incident where she had to ask her father to buy her peanuts on the bus ride home after receiving her HSC results. Despite her parents' previous lack of concern about her grades, her disappointing performance deeply upset her father, leading to three months of silence between them. This experience was a harsh lesson in the consequences of her decisions and the impact they had on her loved ones, serving as a powerful motivator for her future endeavors.
Finding a passion beyond science through photography
Although she pursued physics at Dhaka University, her heart was drawn to creative pursuits. She actively participated in poetry clubs and developed a passion for photography, even earning money by photographing brides for weddings. Her talent was recognized when she won a national photography competition. Her winning entry focused on the lives and struggles of visually impaired students, a project that consumed her time and energy, often to the detriment of her physics studies. This achievement, coming from someone who had never ranked first in anything before, made her question her academic path. It was a clear indication that her true strengths and passions lay outside the conventional scientific disciplines, hinting at a different calling.
The challenging path to a broadcasting career
Driven by a desire to find a path where she could make decisions, Roksana set her sights on journalism. Despite her physics background and lack of formal journalism education, she applied to various TV channels. She vividly recalls being rejected by Sheikh Siraj at Channel I, who advised her to try elsewhere due to perceived speaking flaws. This rejection was deeply painful but fueled her determination. Ironically, Channel I was the first television station to interview her. She started her career as a trainee reporter, facing the challenge of competing with journalism graduates. She dedicated herself to learning every aspect of the media, working late hours, and seeking opportunities in different departments like camera operation and editing, showcasing her commitment to mastering her chosen field.
A relentless pursuit of learning across the media landscape
Roksana's career is characterized by her constant movement between different television channels, a decision many seniors advised against, fearing it would hinder stability and deep learning. However, for Roksana, each move was a deliberate step to acquire new skills and knowledge. She worked at numerous channels, including ATN Bangla, then the number one channel in Bangladesh, notable for its high advertising rates. She left ATN Bangla not out of dissatisfaction but because she felt she had nothing more to learn there and needed to seek new challenges elsewhere. This philosophy of continuous learning and self-improvement defined her trajectory, eventually leading her to Jamuna Television, where she has been for the past 11 years, indicating a sense of belonging and fulfillment.
The essence of raising your voice for change
Roksana connects her life's decisions, from her early academic choices to her career path, to the overarching theme of 'raising your voice.' She explains that even when respecting her parents' wishes for her to study science, she eventually had to choose her own path when she realized it wasn't her forte. This principle extends to her daily life; she intervenes in traffic issues, stopping illegally parked buses to correct their positioning and minimize disruption to others. She emphasizes that speaking up is not about seeking applause or avoiding criticism, but about a fundamental responsibility to contribute to the progress of her country and the well-being of its people. Her journey illustrates that silence can be costly, while the courage to speak, when necessary, is transformative for both the individual and society.
Mentioned in This Episode
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Key Principles for Raising Your Voice
Practical takeaways from this episode
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Common Questions
The core message is about the importance of 'raising your voice' and making decisions to pursue your own path, even when it's challenging. It emphasizes personal growth, resilience, and the courage to speak up for what is right.
Topics
Mentioned in this video
The institution hosting the TEDx event where Roksana Anzuman Nicole is speaking.
A government college in Dhaka where the speaker enrolled for higher education due to financial constraints.
The university the speaker aspired to attend after moving to Dhaka, ultimately studying Physics there.
A television channel where the speaker had her first interview and eventually worked, despite initial rejection.
A top-rated television channel in Bangladesh where the speaker worked before leaving to seek further learning opportunities.
The television channel where the speaker has been working for the last 11 years.
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