Growing Up Without Growing Apart | Dr. Valerie Woo | TEDxHSRW

What happens when growing up changes not just the child, but the parent too? In this personal and emotional talk, Valerie Woo explores what happens as young adults begin choosing lives of their own while their parents learn to step back, trust, and find a new way to stay connected.
Filmed and edited by Fotocinema (Arkadiusz Tomala). Dr. Valerie Woo is a pediatric dentist, entrepreneur, speaker, and proud daughter of Filipino immigrants. Through her work and personal story, she explores what it means to grow, lead, and become yourself in seasons of change. On the TEDxHSRW stage, Valerie will share the heart behind Half Nester, a concept born from her own life long before motherhood. Through that lens, she speaks to the in-between space so many students know well: between home and independence, family expectations and personal identity, ambition and belonging. With warmth, honesty, and insight, Valerie invites the audience to rethink what it means to be limitless, not by doing more or balancing everything perfectly, but by finding their own rhythm and realizing that becoming yourself is not a betrayal of where you come from. 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