TEDxPSU is heading into its fourth year of existence, but the organization has already established itself as an annual “must attend” event for active members of the Penn State community. Yesterday’s third annual TEDxPSU: “Yesterday’s Frontiers, Tomorrow’s Horizons” reinforced that statement more than ever before.

From 10 a.m. all the way through 6 p.m., a sold out Schwab Auditorium heard from more than a dozen speakers about their ideas worth sharing. I won’t bore you with a speaker-by-speaker recap, but if you’re interested you can read our comprehensive live blog from yesterday’s event here.

There were any number of valuable lessons to take away, but that’s the beauty of TED. Everyone came away with something different, something inherently valuable, and hopefully something that will make the community better.

We heard from people like Penn State senior Chad Littlefield, who was just as composed as any of the other seasoned speakers on stage. We heard from a woman promoting abstinence (Dannah Gresh), a man interested in third party politics (Eric Charles), and even a man juggling knives on a unicycle (Dan Thurmon). It was as diverse as it was insightful, and there wasn’t anyone in the room who didn’t take away something valuable from the evening.

Muralist Michael Pilato was the final speaker, and stole the show with a variety of personal and powerful stories about how art creates healing. He was the only TEDxPSU participant to receive a standing ovation — and rightfully so. You could tell Pilato meant every word of what he said, which is no surprise for a man who has spent most of his life sharing his incredible creations with this community. His sincerity was evident, as it always is, and he was a great choice to close out another successful TEDxPSU.

I’m already looking forward to next year.