Theme: Finding Your Groove

Which way do you go? How do you find your passion? What happens when interest, talent, and opportunity intersect?
These and other ideas are the topic of the 2017 TEDxYouth@Conejo, a combination of talks, performances, and discussions organized by students in the Conejo Valley Unified School District and open to the entire community.

Westlake High School - Carpenter Theater
100 Lakeview Canyon
Thousand Oaks, CA, California, 91362
United States

Amanda Yao

Student

Amanda has studied classical ballet since the age of 4. She enjoys performing and also teaches beginning ballet at Thousand Oaks Chinese School. At school, Amanda serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper and co-president of Students for the Advancement of Gender Equality (SAGE). In her free time, Amanda enjoys hiking, spending time with friends, learning to cook, and watching movies. Her friends would describe her as genuine, outgoing, caring, driven and relatable. She plans to major in Gender Studies in college, and pursue a career in international law. Amanda would like to thank her family, especially her mother, who has been her greatest inspiration and role model.

Anthony Haas

Anthony Haas has many great talents in both sports and music. He plays the clarinet for the Westlake High School (WHS) Band and Regiment and has the ability to play the saxophone as well. He plays tennis for the WHS Tennis Team and also assists coaches in basketball leagues. He works hard in school and is part of the WHS Physics Club, Education Equality Club, and is a WOW Counselor. Anthony Haas is a very hard working student who only wants to achieve further success. He is a leader to his peers and only wants to help make the world a better place. He participates in as many activities as he can and has the desire to prove others wrong. He wants to learn how to become a better person with high dreams in mind. Anthony Haas would like to thank his friends and family, the fans, and his teachers. He would also like to thank everyone who has supported him one way or another.

Blake Augustine

Student

Blake Augustine is a student-athlete and currently plays Football and Basketball at Thousand Oaks High School. He is a part of Thousand Oaks’ Center for Advanced Studies and Research, a two-year applied, undergraduate-level research program. Along with sports being one of his biggest hobbies, Blake also enjoys mixing/producing music as well as graphic design, however he plans to go to college to study Financial Analysis. Blake would describe himself as an “independent, hard-working leader” and dedicates all of his thanks to his supportive family, coaches and close friends.

Iris Renssen

Student

Iris Renssen, a current Junior at Westlake High School, is a cheerleader, science and math nerd, and greek mythology enthusiast. In the future, Iris dreams of becoming a successful surgeon- after surviving the extra years of med school, of course. Iris’ peers would describe her as self-reliant, dedicated, and consistently positive, even in difficult times. She would like to thank her family- Nieke, Daan, Bibi, and Tyko- for always supporting her and helping to create such a beautiful and fulfilling life, and all the people in my life who have loved and helped me become the person I am today.

Liam Lecka

Student

Liam is a senior at Newbury Park High School. He is passionate about leadership and student government, academics (striving for the International Baccalaureate Diploma), acting in theatre, and volunteering with “All it Takes” as well as the Ronald Reagan Student Leadership Program, just to name a few activities. But rather than participating for the résumé, Liam is constantly exploring all his interests. He is looking to major in Broadcast Journalism, but wants to double major or minor in another area. Liam would like to thank his family and friends for their continued support, as well as his teachers at NPHS for always challenging him to view the world differently.

McKenna Farnham

Student

McKenna Farnham has a love for animals of all kinds, and hopes to pursue veterinary medicine and animal biology. She plans to volunteer at animal shelters this summer to help cats and dogs in need of homes. She is also passionate about the arts, specializing in acrylics, colored pencil, and ink. She is a science geek, especially for chemistry. She has an insatiable thirst for knowledge and loves to learn new things. Her friends have described her as creative, fun-loving, and a little dorky. She would like to thank her incredibly supportive family, friends, and teachers.

Philip Bliss

Philip Bliss is a senior at Westlake High School (WHS). Philip aspires to be a Renaissance man. He plays violin in the school chamber orchestra, but also plays on the WHS varsity lacrosse team. Philip seeks to be balanced and so foolishly takes AP Calculus and AP Physics C to strengthen his weak math skills. He tries very hard. Philip also is a pre-trial attorney for the WHS Mock Trial team. Philip was inspired to audition for TedxYouth by his co-attorney, Ron Thalanki, as well as the crippling fear that he would regret not doing so at the end of his senior year.

Quinn Jones

Student

Quinn Jones has been surrounded by music ever since he could remember. He began playing the piano at the age of 3, and picked up guitar and trumpet four years later. He recently returned from his sixth trip to the All-State Music Convention, where he performed as the Lead trumpet for the All-State Jazz Band. Although he plans on pursuing engineering, he hopes to integrate his passion for music into his future career, as it will always be an integral part of his life. Quinn would like to thank his parents, both musicians, for introducing and nurturing his love for the art.

Shane Everitt

Student

Shane Everitt is a junior at Newbury Park High School. She has multiple hobbies that include equestrian and journalism. She is an active member in the IB program at her school and is a participant in Associated Student Government. This year her TED x Talk, AHA Moment is inspired by her Teen Lifestyle Blog, BLINKLY.com. She is a person who is striving for a education in broadcast journalism. Overall she is an outgoing and bubbly person. She would like to thank her Mom and Dad, for always standing by her side no matter what. Her english teachers who have exposed her to beautifully written material, Alana Bond and Vanessa Denchfield. And her sister Kylie for always being someone to look up to and inspire her.