Theme: Lenses

What does our world look like through the eyes of someone else. What can be learned from another person's experience. In this year's TEDxYouth@Conejo, high school students tell stories from home and abroad.

Newbury Park High School, Performing Arts Center
456 Reino Road
Newbury Park, California, 91320
United States

Alicia Marshall

Student

Alicia Marshall is a junior at Westlake High School who enjoys singing, theater, track and robotics. Her goal is to attend and study law at NYU, and become a lawyer after she graduates college. She has wanted to be a lawyer since the age of 2 and she believes as a lawyer she can fight for laws that change society into a better, safer, more tolerant place. He is characterized as outgoing, friendly, and excitable. She would like to thank her parents Alexander and Denise Marshall, her speech partner and friend Amanda Plagmann, and TEDxConejo for giving her this amazing opportunity.

Amanda Plagmann

Student

Amanda is a junior at Westlake High School who enjoys the subjects: psychology and biology. She has a passion for working with kids and wants to go into pediatric nursing or into the child life profession. She loves interning at Westminster Free Clinic and spending time at her church teaching Sunday school to her class of 1st and 2nd graders. In her free time she enjoys hiking, hanging with friends, or cooking in the kitchen. Adopted from China as a baby, Amanda plans to return to help provide for orphaned children. She would like to thank her mother Melanie and her sister Christine for all the support and her good friend and speech partner, Alicia Marshall.

Andy Jin

Student

Andy Jin is passionate about data science in business, humanities, and medicine. He is very active in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and is the national champion in the Insurance and Risk Management competitive event. Andy founded the Hand-in-Hand program and leads Westlake High FBLA members in serving local underprivileged students through well-designed enrichment activities. This long-term goal is to help our nation eradicate poverty with quality education. He is a huge Sherlock Holms fan and hopes that, one day, he can publish his own Holms novel. Andy would like to thank his family, friends, and teachers for their continuous support.

Annika Paseta

Student

Annika Pašeta was born in Perú and moved to the US when she was two years old. Her diverse background ignited an interest to learn about different cultures and languages. She is bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish and is currently learning French and Croatian. Annika has always wanted to help others, especially those in developing countries, where people are deprived of basic necessities. She would like to study International Relations and Political Science so she can help impoverished countries. In 2015, she founded the Young Entrepreneur Association of California (YEAcal). She would like to thank her beloved family and friends for their countless support and love.

Anthony Wermers

Student

Anthony enjoys learning new things and studying different cultures, customs, and religions. Anthony enjoys acting and working on learning to imitate various accents from around the world. Anthony is hoping to study Radio and Television Communications at USC. His primary goal is to be an actor and talk show host. Anthony wants to help the world gain a better sense of the various religions of the world, with the hope of having a more peaceful environment for all. He would like to thank his amazing friends, his mother, Gina and father, Mark for always supporting him in all he does no matter how crazy it may seem.

Douglas Shao

Student

Douglas Shao is seventeen years old, born in Thousand Oaks, California. He is a junior at Westlake High school. His hobbies include piano, baking, and musical theatre. On the weekends, one can either find him consuming copious amounts of ice cream or going on a run. Douglas is also a member of the Thousand Oaks Youth Commission, which organizes several events and programs for local youth in the ity. In his sophomore year, he also helped establish a gender equality club at his high school. Aside from this, he loves to make other laugh with random stories, and aspires to meet Beyoncé before he dies.

Emily Zheng

Student

Emily Zheng is a junior at Westlake High School. She is an aspiring author who hopes to inspire and empower others, whether it is on gaining self-confidence, rejecting conformity, or preserving the environment. Messy and imperfect, she values compassion, creativity, and ambition. Her passions include writing, travelling, and the environment. Emily dreams of exploring the world and documenting her experiences. In her free time, she reads too many books, makes smoothie bowls, and goes on adventures with her friends.

Grant Cho

Student

Grant participates and holds leadership positions in several of his school’s academic clubs and community organizations which include FBLA, Speech and Debate Club, and the Westminster Free Clinic. Grant plays the violin in CSUN’s Youth Philharmonic and Westlake’s Chamber Orchestra. He also speaks three languages – Korean, English, and Chinese. In the future, he hopes to become a Pediatrician or Family Practitioner. Through hard work and making connections with others via music and conversation, he believes that he can make a great impact on people’s lives and health. Grant would like to thank his parents, his mentor and former teacher Mrs. Chung, and all of his friends and extended family for their love and support.

Jake Kim

Student

Jake Kim is an active and passionate student. He is fortunate enough to have had experience in numerous activities in the community. Jake believes that anyone of any background has the potential on lending a helping hand to make the world a better place. He hopes to pusue a career in medicinal research. In the meantime, Jake is currently an intern at the Westminister Free Clinic; Leadership Associate of WHS FBLA; and an editor of The Westlake Arrow. Additionally, he is the student coordinator and co-founder of the Science Center at WHS, member of Conejo Valley Youth Orchestra, and a student studying the violin at Colburn Community School. In his spare time, Jake loves to hike and listen to music.

Jason Kurohara

Student

Jason Kurohara has enjoyed playing classical and jazz trombone since the age of 9. He has recently been selected into the All-State Honor Band. He is also passionate about designing, building and flying remote control planes, and would like to study Mechanical Engineering in college. Jason's peers would describe him as a self-motivated, creative, and caring leader. He would like to thank his very supportive family, especially his oldest brother, Jeffrey, who has been an exemplary mentor, and also Mr. Holloway, his physics teacher, who has encouraged Jason to always challenge himself.

Katia Arami

Student

Katia’s natural habitat is the library. Whether it be following domestic politics, keeping up with international news or indulging in her new favorite novel, Katia often devotes more time to monitoring the world and following her favorite characters’ lives than focusing on the happenings of her own life. When she is not engulfed in a book, she spends her time at school, taking fascinating classes including academic decathlon and choir. At her school, Katia is also an active participant in seven clubs, her favorites being Philosophy club and Junior State of America, a political discussion group. Katia aspires to study Development Economics at University and aims to explore her passion by contributing to the economic and political development of foreign nations.

Nick Soper

Creative College Prep Founder

Nick is an actor, writer, and educator whose passion lies in the intersection of storytelling, creative expression, and personal transformation. He specializes in Creative College Prep for out-of-the-box students, and makes nontraditional films with ensemble Darty Hall. In spare moments, Nick practices tai chi, studies creativity, and listens voraciously to albums new and old from start to finish. His work aims to enrich the way we cross major life thresholds – especially into adulthood. Thanks to so many inspiring friends, to Peggy for making ideas tangible, and to Stacy and the Soper clan for their love and support.

Nikhil Chari

Student

Nikhil is a proud member of the 2016 class of Newbury Park High School. He considers himself an artist and a scholar. His favorite television show is The West Wing, which he believes should be mandatory viewing for any government official before he or she assumes office. If he could be any animal, he would be a blue whale. His mentors include Stephen Tobolowsky, who played Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day, and Mr. Richard Kick, computer science teacher and tennis coach. He wishes to thank his parents for raising him and the TEDxConejo Youth committee for his wonderful opportunity.

Odysseus Pyrinis

Student

Odysseus Pyrinis is an individual whose ethics and morals constantly compel him to serve justice. He will be pursuing a career in the field of law with an ultimate goal of presiding as a Supreme Court Justice. Odysseus is currently participating in Mock Trial competitions as well as attending several law school programs. Aside from the dedicated path of law, Odysseus also has a second passion in technology, often finding himself writing programs or constructing a computer to pass the time.

Rachna Deshpande

Student

Rachna is a journalism lover, science nerd, and avid humanitarian. A full IB diploma candidate, Rachna hopes to pursue a career in health as she is greatly interested in biology and volunteers at a local pediatrician’s office and hospital. At school, she is involved in HOSA, FBLA, and the Panther Prowler newspaper as a Social Media Editor and Advertising/Online Manager. In her free time, Rachna enjoys Indian classical dancing, reading fantasy books, and painting with acrylics. With a passion for traveling and helping the less fortunate, Rachna volunteers in developing cities such as Port Au Prince, Haiti and Tijuana, Mexico. From her experiences and personality, she encourages people to go the extra mile to help those in need.

Steven Huang

Student

He enjoys public speaking/debate and volleyball. He also loves spending time in nature and taking naps on rainy days. He hopes to one day help preserve the environment and the beauties of nature through engineering or teach about the rich history of the world. He is self-proclaimed lover of all things food. He would describe himself as conteplative, approachable, and an extroverted introvert. He would like to thank God for his faithfulness, all of his friends who encouraged him to try out, and his parents for their continued support for whatever he does.