Theme: Voyage

Set sail.
Point A to Point B—that’s how many of us would define a voyage. What is the fastest way to get to our destination? The most cost-efficient? The least troublesome?

This year’s TEDxSCU event is centered around a personal journey we want you to embark on with us. Ideas can take us to new places by altering our point of view, belief system, and challenging our current notions of the world around us. On May 9th, we’ll explore topics ranging from psychology and politics to music, the brain, and much more.

We are all on different points of our own itinerary. Perhaps a new path has just begun—or maybe we have reached a point of no return. Voyages may feel riddled with treacherous monsters and unknown conditions, and the thought of not knowing what direction to head in next could be the most frightening part. Recognizing we are not alone in this journey, however, is the key to forging on.

We ask you to return to your childhood self for one evening of curiosity, creativity, imagination, and wonder. Forget about your obligations to adulthood, and instead remind yourself what it is like to be transported to a place where we are constantly questioning, learning, and amazed by our surroundings. You won’t need a map for where we’re going.

Louis B. Mayer Theatre
SCU 500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, California, 95053
United States

Aidan Gallegos

Student

Aidan is a sophomore at SCU from the Boston area. He is double majoring in Psychology and Philosophy and minoring in Spanish. On campus, he is part of the SCU Jazz Band/Combo and the non-profit Camp Kesem. Aidan’s greatest passion is composing and performing music, but music is much more than this for him. He strongly believes that it the best way to connect with people, evoke emotion, and inspire others. More recently, he has begun to delve into musicology and answer the essential question as to why humans appreciate music.

Amélie D'hers

Student

Amélie, originally from Redmond, WA, is a junior at SCU majoring in Management Information Systems in the business school with a minor in Computer Science. On campus she is heavily involved as a Student Ambassador, rider on the Equestrian Team and member of the business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi. Starting at a young age, Amélie developed a passion for animals and surrounded herself with them growing up. One of her favorite quotes states “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” (Peter Drucker) Amélie is devoted to changing the culture of human and animal interaction.

Bhupendra Sheoran

Public Health

Bhupendra Sheoran has over 24 years’ of health care experience, starting in 1995 as a medical doctor running polio immunization programs in India. At ETR Sheoran is Vice President of Global Development where he develops strategies to increase the global impact of ETRs science based health equity programs. He also serves as the Managing Director of YTH designing innovative solutions for youth health and wellness using new media and technology. A self-described “Soft Techie”, Dr. Sheoran has designed, implemented, and evaluated multiple health projects, telemedicine programs and social media campaigns to reach at-risk and hard to reach populations. He also works as a technical consultant advising agencies that want to apply new and innovative technologies to country and regional programs.

Juliana Shihadeh

Student

Juliana is a Computer Science and Engineering Senior at SCU. She was born in Israel, grew up in Colorado, and moved to California in 8th grade and through it all has always let her curiosity lead her, from learning how to play the piano to learning how to play the violin to learning how to code in her first ever language: BASIC, and what led her to exploring AI and how to use it for the best. Outside of classes, she loves playing in the SCU orchestra, playing basketball and writing poetry.

June Kissel

Student

From the Seattle area, SCU senior June Kissel has always possessed an appreciation for the outdoors, overpriced coffee shops, dim sum, and dogs (specifically Bernese Mountain Dogs). For the past four years she has been studying public health science and biology, which has ignited her passion and goal to improve health inequities across all races, genders, and socioeconomic statuses. She considers herself an eager and constant learner, and is humbled by the opportunity TEDx presents to learn from the other speakers and her own research.

Nick Rogers

Student

Nick is an Economics student with an interest in Catholic theology, computer science and philosophy. Having grown up in the fast-paced Los Angeles, he is excited to explore the importance of a healthy understanding of leisure and how we can all improve our lives by orienting our work towards this deeper purpose. With the hopes of rediscovering the foundations of our culture, he looks forward to illuminating the value of work and the importance of rest. An avid outdoorsmen, he enjoys time in nature, his collection of books and any opportunity to share the splendor of truth.

Sam Pérez

Student

A Political Science and English double major with a Philosophy minor hailing from San Francisco, Sam is ready to explore all things feminism during her TEDx talk! After engaging in many a contentious discussion involving increasingly different perceptions of what this movement is, Sam is excited to explore what it truly means to be a feminist today. When she isn’t talking feminism, Sam is probably raving about the importance of Student Government, on which she has had the honor of serving as Student Body President this year, or motivating herself to crack open an LSAT prep book (we’ll get there).

Thomas Plante

Professor of Psychology

Thomas G. Plante, Ph.D., ABPP is the Augustin Cardinal Bea, S.J. University Professor, professor of psychology, and by courtesy, religious studies at Santa Clara University and directs the Applied Spirituality Institute. He is also an adjunct clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. He recently served as vice-chair of the National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Youth for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. He has published 23 books including Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church: A Decade of Crisis, 2002-2012 and Sin against the Innocents: Sexual Abuse by Priests and the Role of the Catholic Church (2004). He has evaluated or treated about 1,000 clerics or clerical applicants in his Menlo Park private practice including numerous sex abuse victims and offenders. Time Magazine referred to him in a cover story (April 1, 2002) as one of “three leading (American) Catholics.”