In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

W.C. Mepham High School
2401 Camp Avenue
Bellmore, New York, 11710
United States

Amanda Gundel

Eleventh grader Amanda Gundel enjoys expressing herself through the written word, and has sought out many opportunities to hone her craft alongside other flourishing writers. With her genuine love of literature and language, Amanda hopes to become an English teacher so that she may teach others how to appreciate this art form. Amanda is passionate about teaching the whole individual and wants to help people find their own confidence and voice. If she inspires just one person, she says, she will have found success.

Anthony Augugliaro

Born and raised in Bellmore, NY Anthony Augugliaro returned to his alma mater, Mepham High School, to fulfill his dream of becoming an educator. As a student this “Pirate” was inspired by the teachers and coaches in his life, and now he stands at the helm ready to offer safe passage for all he encounters on the field and in his classroom. Consistently, he gives students more than just content; he gives them the tools to become decision makers, change agents, but most of all dreamers.

Caleb Varghese

Currently a junior at The Wheatley School, on Long Island, Caleb plans on studying Statistics and Computer Science upon entering college. At his school, he is an active member of both his Model UN and DECA teams, and is also the Vice-President of the chess club. Outside of school, he loves to play badminton, and also teach himself Machine Learning and Entrepreneurship. In the future, Caleb would like to become a Data Scientist, with his own analytics company. At the moment, he is working on a renewable energy startup, with his partner Manan Shukla.

Coen Kiley

High School Senior Kiley Coen currently serves as Mepham’s 2017-2018 Poet Laureate. With a keen awareness of form and structure, Kiley crafts each poem systematically. Perhaps it will be tercets or quatrains, perhaps simple couplets, but no matter the stanzaic structure selected this young poet has a purpose in mind. A reader and lover of literature and language, Kiley has acquired a rich knowledge of Greek and Roman mythology as well as multifarious literary archetypes and these images and references slip into her poetry and resonate with her reader.

Eric Hurnyak

Eric Hurnyak is an American based artist, writer, musician and designer from Long Island New York. He is the main designer and coordinator behind a creative based collective known as The Long Island Creative Vortex. Through the ‘Creative Vortex’, he uses his talent to work with local communities, associations and groups to create inspirational projects designed to draw on participant’s collaborative and creative nature. He first developed this concept in 2011 by creating a series of private events where artists were invited to collaboratively paint with the accompaniment of live music, discussion and sometimes spoken word to produce a multi-level inspirational experience. During these events, he observed how positive and inspired people felt from working together creatively. This became the motivation to bring this concept to the public. Eric creates large scale sub-straights based on socially relevant themes. These pieces are introduced to the public through partnerships with local galleries, councils, associations and community events. They are designed to be completely interactive. The public is invited to express themselves by collaboratively painting these pieces. Through the years, each project have proven to be positive unifying experiences. His goal is to travel the world and share these experiences wherever possible.

Kim Weiler

Internationally Certified Holistic Health Coach Kim Weiler is devoted to guiding others on the path to a healthy life, not just through dietary changes, but also a large helping of self-love. Her twenty-one year journey towards healing began when she developed the autoimmune disease psoriasis at age nineteen. Struggling with the skin condition in her adult life, Kim only saw her skin clear up after implementing a strict regimen of proper nutrition, which included self-love – the number one “food” for the soul. This author and speaker now inspires and educates the next generation of female leaders through her non-profit organization The Love Group.

Lucia Clohessy

Lucia Clohessy is a professional singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and published poet from New York City, but true harmony occurs when Lucia is using her music to help others. A graduate of the Music Therapy and Psychology program at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Lucia hopes to one day open her own mental health and substance abuse treatment facility that incorporates alternative therapies in the process of healing. Lucia is presently pursuing her certification as a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor, and currently serves as a music therapy intern with the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Additionally, Lucia is the co-founder of The Nicky Clohessy #18 Foundation, a non-profit organization that brings awareness to the prescription drug epidemic.

Manan Shukla

A junior at The Wheatley School,on Long Island, Manan is very interested in entrepreneurship and engineering. An active member of numerous clubs in his school, he has won a number of awards in the field of science, business, and public speaking. He plans on majoring in Entrepreneurship/Computer Science upon entering college. Outside of school, Manan is also running another startup, Medicobox, which prevents medical non-compliance(the act of not taking medication) by creating a smart pill bottle. As some of his hobbies, Manan likes to learn about artificial intelligence as well as clean energy and plans to one day create a startup that can eventually create a global impact.

Olav Schewe

Olav Schewe is an entrepreneur and author who is passionate about helping others improve the way they learn. His book on how to study smarter, Super Student, has been translated to 13 languages, and is a best-seller in his native country, Norway. Olav became interested in learning about learning while in high school. There, he was an average student, struggling to improve his grades despite being highly motivated and dedicated. After he discovered learning techniques, and improved the way he studied, that changed. Eventually, he became High School Valedictorian, was offered a Fulbright Scholarship and graduated from the University of Oxford with Distinction. Olav believes in the power of study techniques and that anyone can succeed with learning.

Skyler Basco

High School Freshman, Skyler Basco has always had the desire to communicate an important message through a creative medium- sometimes art, sometimes poetry, and sometimes simply through the ago-old practice of storytelling. Skylar believes that there is beauty in the power of the written word because it has the ability to spread a message and allow personal expression in ways that connect humans to one another and to the world at large.