Molly Burke Shares her We Day Story
I had an incredible first We Day experience! Not only was it my first We Day speaking experience, it was also my first time attending the event. I had always wanted to go, but I had never gotten the opportunity.
At We Day I had the opportunity to hang out with Jake Zeldin (Lil Jaxe), who is also a singer/songwriter. We were really able to connect, not only because we are both young musicians, but also because we were both been severely bullied for having a disability—myself for being blind and Jake for having a stutter. We are both young people with a similar past and an equal goal in mind!
On the morning of We Day I spoke with Martin Sheen for a few minutes. He pulled me aside from the group we were standing in, put his arm around me and asked if I was nervous. When I said I was mainly excited but a bit nervous, he opened my hand and placed a rosary into it. He told me that I didn’t have to be Catholic or Christian; I just had to put it in my pocket and bring it on stage with me. It had been blessed by a friend of his in Egypt and it would bring me luck. It was made of olive pits and sterling silver, he said, and it was blessed in an Ashram. He then told me to direct my speech to one specific person in the room or someone who was watching the event from home and I’d be fine! It was a very special moment, as I have looked up to and been inspired by Martin Sheen for years.
When I walked up on the We Day stage to speak, I didn’t feel nearly as nervous as I thought I would because I knew that everyone in that room was genuinely supportive and forgiving and wanted me to do well.
I was amazed at the energy in the room, 20,000 youth screaming for social change is the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard.
Being a part of We Day, a movement that brings together some of the world’s greatest heroes of today, is so humbling and so thrilling. The chance to reach so many young people, to be a positive impact on their lives, is incredibly fulfilling.
It’s a wonderful feeling being able to live what I love at 18, getting up in front of thousands of people and sharing my story, my passions and beliefs. And I can’t wait to do it again.
See you in Vancouver!
To book Molly as a speaker, please click here.
