Ariana Melendez
Student
Ariana's personal experiences with sexual assault have led her to be a passionate and outspoken advocate for women who have suffered assaults. Through her story and her actions, Ariana tries to make a difference in her community and looks at a way for her to heal from her own experiences.
Ashley Cureno Reyna
Student
Ashley is a young lady who, due to a range of reasons, has become passionate about working with sexual assault and abuse victims. In her work throughout her senior year, she brought to light these topics to a high school campus and had a larger impact on her school community in beginning the conversation about sexual assault and abuse.
Brian Rubio
Student
Brian is a student who normally took a non-traditional approach to his learning. Throughout the process of developing his talk's concept, Brian looked at the effects that single actions had in his own life and the power of decision making.
Cobi Washington
Student
Cobi is a young woman who is highly involved with and interested in the politics of the United States. In her talk, she discusses getting the opportunity to "sit at the adult table" in regard to political discourse and how students, regardless of age should be involved in the political process.
Desyre Mitchell
Student
Desyre is a student who, for a good amount of time in her youth, avoided taking responsibility for her actions. Through a collection of studies and experiences, Desyre shares an idea with her audience about how to shift the responsibility back to yourself.
Dustin Acosta
Student
Dustin is a student who has been successful in many facets of his life: sports, academics and social. It is through the external factors in his life, mostly due to the people in his life that he learned about the struggles that life can put forth and how to overcome them. Dustin shares his discovery through this by the idea of how he views people who suffer from illnesses or disabilities.
Indira Nicole Marquez Robles
Student Activist
Indira is a DACA recipient, an activist for immigration rights and an active member of multiple organizations that work to serve immigrants. In her talk, Indira tells the story of how she wound up in the United States and the different approaches she would like to see for immigrants in this country.
Maraha Hernandez
Student
Maraha grew up in a house where other's vices had a profound influence over her life experience and personal development. It is through this experience that she shares with her audience how people's decisions can influence other's lives.
Melissa Vazquez
Student
Melissa is a young lady who has spent her entire life being defined by the labels that other people place upon her - in this enlightening talk, Melissa examines her labels over the years and how it can influence both herself and others as they face their own labels.
Nelson Reyes
Student
Nelson is a student who has learned to do something that is very difficult in the design of high school: embrace failure. In his lighthearted, yet profound style, Nelson gives those in the audience a chance to gain a better understanding of what failure can do.
Nicolas Romero Vidal
Student
Nicolas is a young man who had to overcome bullying in his younger years and that, in turn, had an effect on the perception he has about himself. In his area of study, he focused upon the effect that photography can have on his self-image and the image that others hold of themselves.
Oscar Garcia
Student
Oscar is a young man who focused his entire childhood and teenage years on academics. While this led him to find success from a grades perspective but limited his development from a social and personal standpoint. In sharing this idea, Oscar challenges his audience to take a different perspective as to what should be prioritized in schools.