Theme: Dare to Learn

TEDxYouth@Jenks is a full day event on May 1st, 2019 with the intention of interconnecting all high schools of the greater Tulsa area by providing a litany of students with the ability to share their passions and ideas that impact all facets of the world that we live in! Speeches at this event will be recorded and uploaded to a YouTube channel with more than 13 million subscribers and students will have the ability to refine their public speaking skills by communicating in front of almost 100 peers, Tulsa professionals, and administrators. A central feature of this event will be its discussion-based nature as we will leverage alcoves within the state-recognized Jenks Performing Arts Center to facilitate conversations about the big questions that face humanity!

Jenks High School
205 E B St
Jenks, Oklahoma, 74037
United States

Amri' Littlejohn

Fatphobia Activist

Hello! My name is Amri' Littlejohn and I am currently a graduating senior from THE Booker T Washington High school. I would love to emphasize on that fact that fatphobia is very real and it's on a mission to aid in high beauty standards. On behalf of fat women I am here to speak bring your attention to this very issue in my talk entitled "I named my jeans Billie"

Ariana Sayeed

Rest Taker

Hey! My name is Ariana Sayeed and I’m a sophomore at Jenks High School. I am on the Speech and Debate Team, volunteer at my mosque on a weekly basis, and love to bike. Growing up, I’ve always noticed that the workload from my school and personal life have seemed to grow bigger and bigger as I got older and older. I also seemed to never any downtime. Society has turned the idea of rest into something that’s associated with laziness and idleness. In my talk, I hope to convince you that taking a break can actually do more help than harm.

Brooke Beirute

Heightism Activist

I am Brooke Beirute, an eleventh grader at Jenks High School. I have been very active in the Jenks Speech and Debate team through high school and I have a passion for public speaking. As a 4’11” individual, one of my favorite topics to discuss is heightism, or discrimination on the basis of height. In my talk, I will address the manners in which heightism can be exemplified, the causes for these prejudices, and provide a hopeful solution.

Catherine Hartman

Future Disability Lawyer

Catherine Hartman is a senior at Booker T Washington High School. She is a full IB student, captain of the speech and debate team, and editor of Key Club. Following a year of service with City Year Tulsa, she will be continuing her education as an International Studies and Music Theatre double major at the University of Oklahoma. In light of current events, and drawing from personal experience, Catherine will be presenting a speech on revisionist history and the implications of believing what is comfortable rather than what is true about the past entitled ‘Blindspot.’

Deanrea Sykes

Future Civil Rights Lawyer

I am Deanrea Sykes, a senior at Booker T Washington high school in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I will be majoring in African American history and minoring in political science at either The University of Oklahoma or Howard University. In hopes of becoming a Civil Rights Attorney, I have developed a talk surrounding some major social issues: Mass incarceration, racial achievement gaps, and historically black colleges/universities. The title of my talk is “The plight of African Americans.”

Eliza Fitzhugh

Poetry Lover

My name is Sarah Elizabeth Fitzhugh, and my topic is Self-Expression Through Poetry (which, coincidentally, happens to be the name of my talk). Poetry, with all its nuances and complexities, is fascinating, and it can help people express whatever they need to (among other things). Not enough people really consider poetry as a creative or expressive outlet, though, and it can be a bit daunting. I hope to help demystify poetry and make it accessible to you as I talk through why poetry makes for such a great expressive outlet and a couple of devices that help make poetry rich and complex (connotation, metaphor, symbolism, and word choice). By the end, hopefully you'll be able to pick up on and interpret some of the subtle nuances of poetry, and that will lead you to enjoy it.

Hea Pushpraj

Active Mediator for Years

Hea Pushpraj is a sophomore at Booker T. Washington High School. She has observed first hand that over 80% of teens deal with anxiety related issues through her involvement in many school activities and leading many organizations. She has been practicing Meditation for many years which has scientifically been shown that it is the one of the most effective ways to deal stress and anxiety. This speech, Meditation: The Path to Thrive, teaches people how to use Meditation to reduce stress and anxiety, create a greater sense of well-being, and increase happiness.

Maya Chandwaney

Brain Lover

Hi! My name is Maya Chandwaney, and I am a sophomore at Jenks High School. I have always been interested in science, and I find it fascinating that scientists are just now discovering how our brains work. In a time where we are all constantly doing things and going places, it is important that we remember to slow down and think. In my talk "Mind Over Matter," I will be discussing the science behind this mental process that keeps us focused and going everyday, and how being mindful can make us happier and more productive.

Mia-Lynne Smith

Abuse Survivor and Researcher

Mia-Lynne Smith is a Junior at Jenks High School. She is avidly involved at Jenks High School as Secretary of her class and National Honor Society 2019-2020 Secretary, as well as, being a member of her school's varsity show choir, “Trojanaires.” As a part of the AP Capstone Program Mia-Lynne has conducted extensive research on the effects of Abuse on High School Students. Her talk “Abuse: An Unknown Epidemic” addresses how abuse can happen to anyone and the flaws in how society handles such a prevalent issue.

Natasha Perez

Music Aficionado

“I am Natasha Perez, a Junior at Jenks High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I am an active member of the AVID Program and Team 31 Robotics. I hope to attend The University of Oklahoma or the University of Central Oklahoma in the fall of 2020. Growing up in a music-loving family and being fascinated in searching for the secret of life, I have developed a talk with the hopes of helping others find the key to happiness within the music. What generation doesn’t love music?”

Shrea Tyagi

Comfort Zone Escaper

My name is Shrea Tyagi, a 15 year old sophomore at Union High School. Within any part of the world, society uses the constant idea of “society boxes” to push us into predefined categories of fixed identities. These categories continue to decide which groups we “fit in” with and which we don’t, defining our personality, preventing our happiness, and limiting our aspirations. In reality, each one of us is multi-faceted with countless qualities that belong in many categories. At a turning point within my life, I realized the meaning of defining me, and through this speech, I aim to help each person define themselves, navigating your place in life through your means rather than letting life’s means determine you. This speech gives a new meaning to defining your own circumstances and taking control of your life.

Sophia Chatzigiannidis

Parenting Researcher

Hi! My name is Sophia Chatzigiannidis, and I am a junior who attends Jenks High School. Outside of school I enjoy competitive swimming and swim for both the Jenks High School Swim Team and the Jenks Trojan Swim Club. This year I got the opportunity to do my own research on how different parenting styles affect adolescents mental health. In the TEDxYouth@Jenks I will be talking to you about how parents actions and behaviors affects adolescents mental health.

Xiomara Schultz

Actress and Activist

Hello! My name is Xiomara Schultz, and I am a junior at Jenks High School. I am an active member of the theatre department here at Jenks and love to work both onstage and behind the scenes! I’ve been given the opportunity to participate in the TEDxYouth@Jenks and share my thoughts on the difficulty of growing up, especially in such a contradictory society. And how sometimes it’s hard to embrace the future without confidence in one’s self.