Day 3 of HERDSA 2025 ended not with a whisper, but with a burst of energy.  Keynote from Dr Amanda White OAM began before she even stepped on stage. She was already at the auditorium door, greeting each attendee, encouraging everyone to move in toward the centre, and setting a tone of warmth and inclusion. Just before the session started, she took a selfie with the audience for a reel she would later post to social media. It was spontaneous, disarming, and a subtle challenge to traditional academic formality.

Her keynote invited us to think about influence. Not through performance or position, but through presence. What does it mean to be a trusted educator in a digital world, where students may learn more from online creators than from lectures?

What does influence look like in education?

Amanda’s talk moved fluidly from ancient figures to modern digital spaces. She spoke about Socrates and Confucius, but also about fitness influencers and burger entrepreneurs. Her message was clear: students are not disengaged. They are engaged differently.

Figure 1: From a 2007 desktop search to a parade of thinkers. A keynote opens with the question: What does influence look like in education?

Today’s students turn to YouTube, Reddit, TikTok, and even ChatGPT before asking their tutor. Amanda reminded us that educators are no longer the sole source of knowledge. Instead, we are guides, facilitators, and sometimes one presence among many in a broader learning network.

Figure 2: A student asks a teacher in class, then later watches YouTube in bed. They haven’t disengaged, they’ve just changed where they learn.

Influence begins with presence

Amanda teaches cohorts of over 1700 students, yet she creates a sense of connection and care. In her keynote, she explored how this is possible by introducing the concept of parasocial relationships, which are one-sided connections that emerge through repeated exposure to a media figure or educator.

Drawing on the work of Dibble, Hartmann and Rosaen (2016), Amanda explained that parasocial relationships help to foster trust at scale. These relationships, although not reciprocated in the conventional sense, are experienced by students as emotionally significant. She also referenced Kowert and Daniel (2021), who suggest that the nature of parasocial connections is shifting. In online and social media contexts, such relationships increasingly support interaction, emotional responsiveness and a sense of community affiliation.

Figure 3: Amanda in a lecture hall, hand on heart. Trust starts with being human.

Amanda referred to her own approach as parasocial pedagogy. While this concept has not yet been formalised in academic literature, it meaningfully describes her teaching practice. Through her consistent presence online, openness and authenticity, she creates a sense of familiarity and care. Many of her students may never meet her in person, yet they feel they know her and, as a result, they trust her.

We connect with effort, not polish

Some of the most memorable moments in the keynote came from Amanda’s stories of imperfection. She spoke of burnt cookies, food truck shifts, and social media posts that showed her real life beyond the classroom.

Figure 4: A burnt batch of cookies and a burger-flipping graduate. Real effort, not polish. We connect with effort more than perfection.

These honest stories resonated with students, who connect more with effort than perfection and are reminded that vulnerability is core to influence.

Sharing as inquiry

Rather than using social media to broadcast certainty, Amanda asks genuine questions. In a recent LinkedIn post, she wrote, “How can I support students during Ramadan?” It was a sincere request for guidance and connection.

Figure 5: Amanda types a question: “How can I support students during Ramadan?” Connection starts with asking, not telling.

This form of relational presence models inquiry over authority. It invites others into dialogue and shows students and colleagues that learning is ongoing.

Teaching with values

Amanda also shared more difficult stories. She spoke about calling out inappropriate behaviour in class, and the decision to act in the moment. That decision, while brief, created lasting safety for her students.

Figure 6: Amanda calls out a comment in class. A student reflects, “You made me feel safe.”

Her message was clear. Students notice when educators act with integrity. Trust is not built through teaching content alone. It is shaped by the values we model through action.

Start small. Start real.

As a creative reflection on Amanda’s keynote, I used AI tools to generate a short manga-style comic. Rather than summarising her talk, each panel captures a phrase, image or emotion that stayed with me.

Figure 7: A social media post viewed by hundreds. Start small. Start real. That’s influence.

Final reflection

Amanda White’s keynote was not about institutional metrics or strategic plans. It was about connection, trust, and care. She invited us to reflect on how influence works in the current moment, not just in our teaching, but in our presence.

By the time she stepped off stage, we had not just heard her ideas. We had experienced them.

Call to action

How are you building trust in your practice? How do your students connect with you, whether in person, at scale, or through screens?

If you are experimenting with presence, authenticity, or creative reflection in your teaching or educational work, HERDSA Connect offers a space to share. Consider this one small example. I would love to read yours.

Acknowledgements:

Banner Image & comic strips generated with the assistance of ChatGTP