Benim Yolculuğum | 2025 | Oğuzhan Özkaya | TEDxReset

Quick Overview

Oğuzhan Özkaya details his educational journey, "My Journey," which transformed from a student's idea into establishing multiple vocational workshops and achieving international recognition, culminating in his students earning high rankings in science competitions and receiving full scholarships to prestigious universities.

Key Points: The speaker's educational philosophy began with a student's idea to place an A310 Airbus in the schoolyard, which was eventually realized (07:17). The speaker established vocational workshops including Agriculture/Livestock (where students sold produce at a market, earning 97,000 TL in the first year), Woodworking, Ceramics, and Culinary Arts (15:55, 13:33, 07:50). Students achieved significant academic success, ranking 12th in an NTV ranking of the top 50 schools in Turkey for academic achievement (18:37). Two students, Firuze Kökten and Hasan Yalçın Arkanoğlu, received full scholarships to ITU (Istanbul Technical University) and achieved a 2nd place in the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition (20:24). The speaker emphasizes that the "Village Institute spirit" involves teaching practical life skills (like cooking and cleaning) and fostering self-reliance, which they demonstrated during a trip to England (16:01). The speaker personally obtained a helicopter pilot's license after his students inspired him with their ambitions (07:09). The speaker concludes by thanking his team and emphasizing that the students' success and inherent potential are paramount (20:00).

Context: The presentation, titled "My Journey" at TEDxReset, is delivered by Oğuzhan Özkaya, who recounts his career transformation driven by the vision of his students. He details how he moved from teaching in a village school to creating an educational institution that integrates vocational skills (like farming, cooking, woodworking, aviation, and ceramics) alongside academics, leading to remarkable student achievements both nationally and internationally.