Theme: Beyond Design

"Beyond Design" describes instances in our universe that are conceptual or "unplanned". Things that are beyond our control are sometimes one of the most beautiful and wondrous things about our world. This event will explore the various perspectives of what caused our world to become what it is today and understand the concept of how everything happens for a reason.

Our event is featuring 11 amazing talks presented by the students of Wake County Middle Schools and our Keynote, Laura Tierney.
We only have 100 seats, so reserve your free tickets now!

Following our motto of "for the students and by the students," this event is organized by a team of 20 CMMS students.

Carnage Magnet Middle School
1425 Carnage Dr
Raleigh, North Carolina, 27610
United States

Aaron Castelino

Hello! My name is Aaron Castelino, and I am an 8th grader at Carnage Middle School. In the midst of a global pandemic, we have seen job losses, resulting in hunger, poverty, unemployment, and many other issues. As a former president of a children’s parliament I am in, my team and I conducted a successful food drive in our local chapter in 2020. In my TEDx speech, I would like to elaborate more on how we can mitigate global concerns, specifically hunger. I placed first in my school’s Modern Woodmen Civic Oration Contest and was awarded as one of Wake County’s Spotlight Students of the Year in 5th grade. I also placed second in a regional impromptu public speaking contest which took place recently. In my free time, I like to play music (piano and violin), chess, and sports, and I am an avid historian and geographer.

Abhiram Poosarla

Breaking the Barriers of Fate

Abhiram Poosarla is an 8th Grader at Carnage Middle School. He is a Straight A Honor Roll Student and is on the Carnage Science Olympiad Varsity Team. Abhiram is an avid reader and passionate about playing the violin, which he has played since he was in second grade. As a Ted Speaker, he wants to spread his ideas to everyone, and inspire anyone of any age to do anything.

Ayush Kamath

Hi, I'm Ayush Kamath. I am currently in 6th grade at Carnage Middle School, and I love to write and present my speeches. My role in this TEDx club is as a speaker. I am responsible to learn from my peers and mentors, accept and use the feedback given from them, write a speech about "Breaking the Bubble" to the best of my abilities, and grow as a writer and a speaker.

Chetan Daswani

Blind Faith

Chetan Daswani is currently an 8th Grader at Carnage Middle School. He loves music and plays the clarinet and saxophone. Additionally, he loves learning, especially science and math. He is also part of a VEX robotics team. At home, however, he enjoys watching movies, playing table tennis, and having fun with his family.

Elly Marie Rea

Dyslexia

Elly Marie is a 14 year old girl in 8th grade. She has struggled with dyslexia for her entire life. Over the years after learning about her learning disability and how others feel about it she decided that someone needed to stand up and inform others about dyslexia and teach them about it. Besides her passion for teaching other about dyslexia Elly Marie also enjoys Acting, Poetry, and Singing. In 4th grade she also created the Baucom Elementary school newspaper.

Gordan Tao

Implicit Bias: Partner Talk

Gordan Tao was born in Mountain View, California. Growing up, he was often bullied at school because of his Asian ethnicity. Since then, Gordan has moved to North Carolina, where he first discovered his love for music. He plays piano, guitar, and clarinet, and often sings. Ever since moving, Gordan has also found confidence in his Chinese heritage and has learned to be proud of his ancestors’ rich history.

Jaitan Singh

Implicit Bias: Partner Talk

Jaitan Singh is a eighth grade student at Salem Middle School, he is part of his school’s National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) where he participates in community activities. Jaitan also swims with Wave at the cary swim center where he enjoys socializing with others. In his free-time, Jaitan enjoys keeping up with politics, economics and the Green Bay Packers. Jaitan also aspires to become like his uncles as they are doctors which happens to be the profession he wants to get into. He also enjoys public speaking and hopes to see you all at the TEDxCMMS event where he will be discussing Implicit bias and how it affects society.

Krithin Visvesh

Hello! My name is Krithin Visvesh, and I am currently a 7th grader at Carnage Middle School. I am very skilled at basketball and I have a passion for geography. I have started playing the Saxophone this year in Beginning Band and I am really rocking it! I am a speaker in the TEDx Club this year and my responsibility is to prepare an interesting and humorous final speech for you guys to enjoy. Thank You!

Laura Tierney

Founder and CEO of The Social Institute

Laura is driven to reinvent the conversation around teens and social media. She bridges the gap between adults and teens as one of the nation’s leading pioneers in positive social media education. She was a student-athlete at Duke University, majoring in sociology and journalism, and became a 4-time Duke All-American, 2-time team captain, and Duke Athlete of the Decade for field hockey.

Layaa Sivakumar

The Balance

Layaa is into Psychiatry and Philosophy. In her free time, she studies brain conditions and mental disorders. She is also self-taught in drawing and acting in addition to being passionate about making music.

Liane Ma

The Phenomenon of Inspiration

Liane Ma is an 8th grader at Salem Middle School and plays multiple instruments such as the piano and flute. Being a young teen, she is curious about the strange dreams she has had. Liane spends her free time figure skating or watching YouTube. She is an avid artist and swimmer on WAVE. Her favorite food is ice cream and she loves hanging out with her friends and drinking bubble tea.

Maddy Morris

11 Years and Counting

I’m a 14 year old 8th grader at Salem Middle School. I was born in North Carolina but I’ve moved around the area multiple times. I love art and I’ve been drawing since I was little. I also play the clarinet. I swam for 2 years on YOTA and 6 years on a summer team. I’m really avid about speaking my mind and I think that everyone should learn to love themselves and the world around them.

Mansha Tiwari

Hi! My name is Mansha Tiwari, and I am a 7th grader in Carnage Middle School. Along with public speaking, I enjoy dancing, swimming, reading, writing, and I have been playing violin for almost 5 years now. I'm very outgoing and love talking to people, I especially enjoy discussing topics of importance and relevance in today's times. As a speaker for our school's branch of TEDx, its my responsibility that you will all leave here with a new perspective on the topics talked about, and have a fun, and engaging afternoon. Thank you for your time, and I hope you enjoy the event!

Manya Nallagangu

My name is Manya Nallagangu and I am an 8th grader at Carnage Middle School. My role as a speaker for the TEDx club is to present perceptive, important, and well-formed ideas to the rest of my community along with my club-mates. I am excited and happy to be on this team!

Mihika Gottimukkala

The Gift of Happiness

Mihika Gottimukkala is currently an eighth grader at Carnage Middle School. She loves science, and participated in her school’s Varsity Science Olympiad. Out of school, she can be found at the gym playing volleyball, or playing her violin.

Om Desai

Power of Perception

Om is a seventh grader at Carnage Middle School. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his brother and his family. He loves to travel to different places and experience new cultures and ideas. His hobbies are reading diverse books, computer programming, playing chess, tennis, and learning about the human body. He is currently a part of his school's Science Olympiad.

Rithika Kapu

Hi, my name is Rithika Kapu, and I am currently a 7th-grade student at Carnage Middle School. Outside of school, I enjoy dancing, reading, and playing the violin. As a speaker in my school's TEDx club, I am passionate about speaking my mind and sharing my ideas, and it is my responsibility to inspire and leave you all with a new perspective on social influence.

Riya Pragada

My name is Riya Pragada and I’m an eighth grader at Carnage Magnet Middle School. I enjoy playing piano, playing tennis, and spending time with family and friends. I love public speaking because it gives me a chance to share my thoughts out with others.

Sophia Dai

Love and its different types

Sophia Dai is an 8th grader at Carnage Magnet Middle School. Her favorite subjects are ELA and Math. When she’s not stuck inside the classroom, Sophia likes to read, play violin, dance, and draw. Her favorite animals are turtles and cats.

Suhan Asaigoli

Meaningful Muffins

Suhan Asaigoli is an eighth grader at Carnage Middle School. He enjoys music, art, playing sports, and studying. Suhan is part of the Carnage Middle School Science Olympiad Team and is also on a robotics team. He is also a member of a nonprofit organization called Inspire NC, an organization which encourages STEAM education in the Triangle area, with outreaches and numerous programs for the community. Suhan is a boy scout, and through that program, he has become a leader and hopes to make a profound impact on his community. He enjoys spending time with his family, and friends. He lives in Morrisville, NC, with his Mom, Dad, and 9-year-old sister.

Vani Garcha

Hi! My name is Vani Garcha, and I am a 7th grader at Carnage Middle School. I am very outgoing and social, and I love all types of sports! I love dancing and I have been playing an instrument since I was in 2nd grade. I am a speaker in the TEDx 2020-2021 Club and my responsibility as a speaker is to have prepared the best I can for our final event and to inform all of you about something meaningful and worthy of your it!

Yasha Nagathan

Hi! My name is Yasha Nagathan and I am in 7th grade at Carnage Magnet Middle School. I am one of the speakers at TEDx. I play piano and saxophone, and I love to read. I am part of FBLA & Speech and Debate. I also like to go bike riding and walking.