Theme: Unboxing Reality

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).

Chaparral High School: Performing Art Centers
27215 Nicolas Road
Temecula, California, 92591
United States

Allison Sandoval Casasola

CHS Student (Junior)

Allison Casasola is a junior at Chaparral High School. Most of her time is dedicated to her studies, ASB, Peer Leaders, Science Olympiad, Sole Hope, CyberPatriot, SADD, Temecula Community Coalition, Math Club, and tennis. Outside of this busy workload, however, she still finds time to ground herself by learning news song on the piano, singing at benefit concerts, playing tennis with her dad on Saturday mornings, or cuddling with her dog and some hot cocoa. While Allison does not know what she wishes to pursue career-wise, she strives to seek happiness and ultimately fulfill a greater purpose.

Alyssa Mae Legaspi

CHS Student (Senior)

Alyssa Mae Legaspi is a senior at Chaparral High School. She is involved on campus with organizations and clubs such as ASB, Peer Leaders, Science Olympiad, and Future Doctors of America. She is especially involved with Chaparral’s special needs outreach program, IMPACT. Within the community, she volunteers as an attorney in Youth Court and at Loma Linda University Medical Center. After high school , she plans to pursue medicine and become a neurosurgeon. Along the way, she hopes to participate in medical relief mission in developing countries.

Anahi Chavarria

CHS Student (Senior)

Anahi Chavarria is a senior at Chaparral High School. At school, she is involved in Mock Trial, Science Olympiad, and NHS. She also currently holds the position of 1st chair violin in the school orchestra. Outside of school, she participates at church where she teaches pre-teens and plays violin and guitar in the worship team. Her goal is to pursue a career in sustainable architecture where she can do missionary work and build sustainable homes for people in less developed countries.

Anjali Sivanandan

CHS Student (Senior)

Anjali Sivanandan is a senior at Chaparral High School. She is involved in many clubs on campus such as the Associated Student Body, Science Olympiad, and Mock Trial. Outside of school she tutors and volunteers at Loma Linda University Medical Center and enjoys piano and karate. As an aspiring doctor she looks forward to furthering her education and having a future in the medical field.

Aria Charis Ocampo

CHS Student (Junior)

Aria Charis Ocampo is currently a junior at Chaparral High School. She’s involved in California Scholarship Federation and American Red Cross, and He Ohana Nani, a Tahitian dance group. She praises individuality, encouraging others to love themselves, and be unique. Calligraphy is her favorite past time, and she’s enthusiastic about teaching it to others, especially young children. While she hopes to pursue a career in the realm of science, she strives to master all forms of cursive, in order to preserve the memoirs of the past.

Charlene Miciano

CHS Student (Junior)

Charlene Jamie Miciano is a junior at Chaparral High School. If she is not studying for AP exams, running to a Science Olympiad, Future Doctors of America, ASB, or Peer Leader meeting, or volunteering at Palomar Hospital, she can probably be found dancing to the most recent song stuck in her head. Charlene is a lover of knowledge, empowerment, service, laughter, and good food (without meat of course). Her dream job is to be a doctor specializing in public health in the World Health Organization and is working hard to achieve it. Her goal is to decrease the spread of diseases while increasing the spread of laughter in lesser developed countries.

Claudia Qi

CHS Student (Senior)

Claudia Qi is a senior at Chaparral High School. She is involved in various groups on-campus such as Interact, Girl Talk, Peer Leaders, and student government. Outside of school, Claudia is a founding board member for the women’s nonprofit Generation Voice. In addition, she can be found participating in civic activities such as Youth Innovators, Youth Court, and gaining hands-on experience with grassroots campaigns. Claudia aspires to study political science and pursue a career as an attorney.

Erika Rodriguez

CHS Student (Senior)

Erika Rodriguez is a senior at Chaparral High School. Her interests range from being vice president of Mock Trial to the Captain of the Belly Dance Team; she is also active in other clubs such as Science Olympiad and Chicanos Unidos. Outside of school she continuously plays piano in her ninth year of lessons, assembles care packages for those in need of supplies in the civil war of her home country Nicaragua, and works with Temecula’s city council and mayor in a homeless outreach project created by herself and four other CAPSTONE students in her class. She plans on attending either medical school or law school to become a cardiothoracic surgeon or an exceptional attorney.

Ethan Johnstone

CHS Student (Senior)

Ethan Johnstone is currently a Senior at Chaparral High School. He was born and raised in Southern California. As the ASB President, he is deeply interested in law and politics and how they in turn affect society. His future plans are to attend a 4 year university and study Economics and Political Science. After he receives his bachelor's degree, he plans on attending law school and eventually running for elected office one day.

Giuliana Duron

CHS Student (Junior)

Giuliana Duron is a Junior at Chaparral High School. She is involved in Science Olympiad, ASB, Mock Trial, Peer Leaders, Temecula Community Coalition, Assistance League, and Youth Court. Besides staying up late doing school work and taking part in her organizations, she spends her time running Cross Country or losing herself in book. She is a proud Latina (Brazilian and Mexican) and an aspiring law student who looks to use her future position in the justice field to help improve communities. Her hope is to create an impact on the world, leaving it better than it was before.

Janice Montoya

CHS Student (Junior)

Janice Montoya is a simple minded and simple mannered student from chaparral high school with strange yet big ideas and aspirations. She likes to focus on studies but tends to stray and end up focusing on the strange and odd topics of the world. On her free time she draws, paints, watches documentaries and spends time with her family. Her future goal is to become a forensic entomologist or to find out more about the little bugs that affect our world, much like how, she claims, tiny human actions impact human lives. Although she believes her goals will change and shape as she grows, she dreams and hopes to inspire those who she meets along the way of her journey.

John Ervin Najera

CHS Student (Junior)

John Najera is a junior at Chaparral High School. At school you can find him representing his organizations such as Peer Leaders, California Scholarship Federation, Cyber Patriots, and Chemistry Olympiad. Passionate for helping others and becoming happier with self love, he translates it to his outside help, such as his assistant coaching at Temecula Youth Basketball League. Hoping to pursue goals in the medicinal field, he hopes to continue his side hobbies of guitar, drawing, and gaming to keep his spirits up while trying his best at life.

Joshua Moore

GOH Student (Senior)

Josh Moore is a junior at Great Oak High School, and he spends far too much time lost in thought. He is a devout member of the Academic Decathlon, Speech and Debate, and Math Club, has dabbled in the Great Oak newspaper, and is new to Science Olympiad. If one asked somebody in his life what he is passionate about, they’d tell you that he likes school, and frankly that’s a boring answer. He likes thought and he likes connections; he likes school and learning because he gets to think and he gets to connect things; he likes helping others with their schooling because he likes to see when they make the connections they are enlisting him to help them make. He’s not an exceptional person by any means, but he is dedicated to furthering thought. As for his future, he’d like to go to some big name school for his own pride, but he’ll probably find a way to be satisfied wherever he goes.

Louise Kim

CHS Student (Senior)

Louise Kim is a senior at Chaparral High School. She is involved in a variety of extracurriculars including Creative Writing Club, CSF, NHS, Science Olympiad, Youth Club, Red Cross, Key Club and Rho Kappa. Outside of school, Louise works part-time at Nestle Toll House Cafe, tutors other students and engages in volunteer work in her community. In addition, she spends her free time reading novels, writing stories, and playing piano. Louise hopes to attend a four year university next fall to study English, discover a career to pursue and one day become a published author.

Nilson Rodriguez Cadenas

CHS Student (Junior)

Nilson Rodriguez Cadenas is a junior at Chaparral High School. He is a Peer Leader on campus and participates in many organizations such as California Scholarship Federation, Cyber Patriots, Chemistry Olympiad, and Math Club. His passions are being involved at school and adding to his contribution of ensuring that everyone has a proper learning experience every day. He plans on working towards becoming a math teacher and going back to high school to teach the leaders of tomorrow.

Salma Smith

CHS Student (Junior)

Salma Smith is currently a junior attending Chaparral High School. Salma is a pious participant in Peer leaders, The Associated Student Body, Mock Trial, CSF, Science Olympiad & Interact on her school campus and many other activities such as dance and tutoring outside of school grounds. She has a robust passion for becoming an attorney and pursuing in more significantly in the practice of children's rights. She wants to insure that state protection consists of a secure environment and in the hands to whom that care and provide services so that children can thrive & not regress; in expository terms, impact the lives of children within the greatest span, as Albert Einstein had stated “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value” .

Tuesday Villalba Aglupos

CHS Student (Junior)

Tuesday Villalba-Aglupos is a junior at Chaparral High School. She is a member of the Science Olympiad, Chemistry Olympiad, California Scholarship Federation, and an advocate for the mental health awareness. Outside of school she is the captain and head libero for the 18s Spartan Volleyball team. Her passions include learning to her full ability, and aiding her fellow peers in any way she can. Her end goals are to become a dermatologist or anesthesiologist, both of which would allow her to pursue a career encasing her favorite subjects, math and science.

Victoria Winn

CHS Student (Senior)

Victoria Winn is a senior at Chaparral High School. She has a passion for STEM subjects, specifically computer science. She is the founder of the Esports Club as well as a leader in Science Olympiad. She is also involved in Cyberpatriot, the Polynesian Dance Team, CSF, Key Club, and the Chaparral Actors Troupe. Her goal is to effectively connect education with video games.