Ian Esquibel was attacked by a dog at a young age, leaving him with significant facial scarring and even deeper emotional wounds. However, a dedicated elementary school teacher who was willing to devote extra time and energy helped Ian see that although his scars set him apart from his peers, they also made him beautiful. Through this experience, Ian learned the importance of personal story and the impact that educators can have in students' lives when they recognize that we each have a unique story. Ian is a native New Mexican and the Executive Director of Learning Alliance New Mexico, a statewide group focused on supporting the transformative education sector in our state.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)