Communication Powers Unlocked

Though I have angst as a parent, I can still play the long game as an educator. Leading a PS-8 school gives me the opportunity and the time to explore the impact of each technological innovation and make iterations in our program to set students up to thrive. I ask myself over and over, “Now, what attributes will our students need to thrive?” In this moment, that question seems more important and more complex than ever. As an educator, I have studied much thought leadership on this topic; however, it is my recent experience as a parent that has given me, not answers, but insights.

When I recently visited my daughter at college, she was in the final stages of an internship interview process for PR positions across several industries. During this process, and mostly in this field, she had to demonstrate her communication skills in various forms–résumés, emails, interviews, marketing tasks, and others. She had to consistently put herself on display, demonstrating competence and confidence.

Fortunately, for my daughter, she had the academic preparation to meet this challenge and in college built on that foundation to establish a confident voice early in her college career in a variety of presentations to her communications classes. Affirmed by the reactions of her peers and professors, she told me, “My presentation powers were unlocked.” Though she was surprised by this seemingly newfound superpower, I was not. She had been preparing for this moment since her Kindergarten year at Graland.

Across the country from my daughter, my son is trying to establish himself as a musician in Los Angeles, a different form of expression. In order to promote his music, he also needs to promote himself via social media. He creates content to market himself, while also creating music that evokes emotions. In a video of him performing, his music causes a wave of movement through the crowd. He communicates a powerful message that has a visceral impact. 

My daughter and son are very different people in very different fields, but there does seem to be a connection that relates to that overriding question: what do our children need to succeed? Scott Galloway, in a “Prof G” podcast from May of 2023, answered that question with a provocative declaration, “I think most expect me to say computer science, STEM courses, or [...] wonders of a liberal arts education that foments curiosity. But hands down, the skill I would grant [...] is singular: storytelling.” In Galloway’s opinion, storytelling is understanding the power of a narrative to evoke emotion. Today, it extends beyond books and films to short-form video, video games, and yes, public relations and marketing. Beyond just reviewing the vast range of storytelling opportunities. He breaks it down into behaviors, such as:

To him, there is no better way to learn these attributes than to practice them. In fact, in 2025, he reiterated his opinion on what skill mattered most: “Today, the expectation is AI. But my answer remains unchanged: To be successful, master storytelling.”

Seth Godin, author of “Purple Cow” and “This is Marketing,” echoes Galloway’s opinion in a classic TED Talk discussing the invention of sliced bread: “The success of [inventions like] sliced bread [...] is not always about what the patent is like [...] it’s about can you get your idea to spread, or not. And I think that the way you’re going to [...] cause the change that you want to change [...] is to figure out a way to get your ideas to spread.” How to do this? Godin says a good story is a true story, and that honesty builds trust and compels people to act. 

At Graland, we believe that unlocking the power of communication is critical for our intelligent and creative students to have impact. We want to give students the opportunity through their demonstrations of learning to learn the presentation skills referenced above. In this magazine, you will discover the ways we give students the chance to gain confidence in their voice. Both my children, in different ways, are relying on these skills in an effort to launch from academia into adulthood. The range of their industries demonstrates how universal these communication skills are and how important it is for us to develop them effectively at Graland. 

Effective communication helps humans connect with other humans with creativity, vulnerability, and authenticity. We can call that storytelling, public relations, or creative expression, but at its heart, it is the power of drawing in an audience, capturing their full attention, and providing them with something of value. It is my objective as a school leader to give each student the opportunity to become that type of confident communicator, to find their voice, and to lead.