In her talk, Allyson Apsey, will share with us the importance of embracing all that comes our way. The human experience, as she says, “is about stumbling upon the fortunes of life and looking at every experience as a treasure—those moments that bring us more pain than we thought possible, more joy than we feel we deserve, and everything in between.” Allyson Apsey is an elementary principal, author, and national speaker who is passionate about students and staff, and leads others through their strengths. Despite the fact that she never wanted to set foot in a school again after high school graduation, there is nowhere else she’d rather spend her days than in classrooms. In fact, she doesn’t even have a chair at her desk because she is moving around the school all day long. The challenges and delights of being a principal fill her days with joy and Allyson enjoys nothing more than helping others be the very best they can be. Allyson is a mom to two wonderful sons and is celebrating her 20th wedding anniversary with her husband Jim this year. Allyson fully embraces the roller coaster of life, knowing that each up and down can help us get closer to the person we want to be if we look for serendipity in everything we experience. 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