Theme: Beginnings

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).

TEDxOrangeCountySchooloftheArts
1010 N Main St
Santa Ana, California, 92701
United States

Ashley Park

Student

Ashley Park is a sophomore student at Orange County School of the Arts and is currently studying under the Creative Writing Conservatory. As a Creative Writing student at a performing arts school, she has been able to educate herself in a vast number of genres, such as playwriting, poetry, nonfiction, etc. Her favorite genres to write in, however, include poetry, short story, flash fiction, sci-fi, and horror. She has learned to love writing and appreciate as her expression of art. Ashley is passionate in not only writing, but other activities where she can utilize her language ability, such as debate and Key Club.

Bridget Phillips

Student

Hello! My name’s Bridget Phillips and I’m so excited to be joining the TEDx community. As an avid journalist and creative writer, I contribute to publications such as the Los Angeles Times High School Insider and TV Wasteland. My work is mainly anecdotal— focusing on both pop culture and current events. I’m also a devout theatre student; as a member of the Laguna Playhouse Youth Conservatory, I am both an actress and performer. I’m infatuated with storytelling and I hope to convey a message to you all that is both powerful and poignant.

Elora Sparnicht

Student

Elora is a sophomore in Creative Writing at OCSA. These days, you can find her trying to make green smoothies that don’t taste like dirt, sporting fuzzy socks during all hours of the day, taking frequent Yoga with Adrienne breaks, and getting her laughing fix from SNL. Elora loves tacos and Fruit Frenzy Bars from Trader Joe’s, and despite getting braces, she remains a tortilla chip superfan. She could watch Ratatouille, The Notebook, or Oceans 8 on repeat (preferably paired with barbeque chicken pizza), and she takes great pride in her organizational skills and laundry folding abilities. It’s the little things.

Isabella Lloyd

Student

Isabella Lloyd, born in Hampshire United Kingdom, started her educational career in the UK when she was made to emigrate to California when she was 8, with her parents and younger brother. Having played the violin since she was 6 she already had an interest in the arts but taking part in school musicals she found her passion. Currently Grade 8 in IA and she loves to sing, act and dance as well as paint and draw and write. Having grown up with allergies and not allowed any pets, Isabella has always had a strange attraction to cat's. Any cat would make a beeline for her and yes she would swell up and say "it just came and sat next to me" now with some allogeneic pets she spends her days adoring her own cat Stardust and keeping her two dogs from annoying him. Learning her way through the pandemic life Isabella can be found laughing at cat memes, drawing her favourite Disney characters or as any teenager telling her younger brother to get out of her room.

Jamie Jung

Student

Jamie Jung is a freshman at OCSA in the Creative Writing Conservatory. She loves exploring various forms of art, specifically creative writing, piano, and visual art. When she is not participating in art, she can be found on a binge watching Disney movies with her brother.

Jenna Salley

Student

Hi! My name is Jenna Salley. I am 17 years old and a fifth year musical theater student at OCSA. Some of the hobbies I enjoy most are reading, spending time with my cat and dog, and going on walks. I also consider myself a television and blanket connoisseur. I am so excited to be a part of the tedx Team!

Kaya Sparnicht

Student

Kaya is an 8th grader in OCSA’s Acting Conservatory. She loves baking banana bread with her sister, Elora, watching “Gilmore Girls,” and playing soccer in the backyard with her trusty, 60-pound golden companion, Bailey. Bailey has kept her whole family sane during the pandemic with his patience, affection, and desire to take as many walks a day as he can get. Kaya is an avid dreamer, and she cannot wait to explore every part of the world someday (when COVID is a thing of the past, of course). She is especially fascinated by historical fiction, and dreams of being a part of a production like “Little Women,” “Downton Abbey,” or “Call the Midwife” someday. Escaping into these worlds is like time traveling, and after a year of quarantine, who isn’t craving a little more adventure?

Lisa Ordonez

Student

Lisa Ordonez is an OCSA sophomore in the Integrated Arts conservatory. She enjoys painting, writing, dancing, singing, acting, and playing the piano, and her favorite styles of dance are ballet pointe and hip-hop. As a writer she loves to write poetry, song lyrics, and short stories, and loves listening to all different genres of old and new music.

Lucie Kim

Student

Lucie Kim, age 14, is a ninth grader in the Pianist Program Conservatory at Orange County School of the Arts. Lucie began taking piano lessons at age six and currently studies with Ariel Yang at Opus 119 School of Music. She made her Carnegie Hall debut at age nine, and has won top prizes at numerous competitions.

Riley Bryant

Student

Riley Bryant is a senior in the Film and Television Conservatory, and has been a student at OCSA for 4 years. Outside of academics, she is the 3x Team Captain of the Mock Trial team, a board member on the MUN team, and Producer of Art Attack Live, the daily morning announcements show. Riley has over 6 years of training in broadcast journalism and general filmmaking, and aspires to one day work for CNN.

Sameer Bajaj

Student

Sameer Bajaj is a 9th grader in the acting conservatory. He will be presenting a Ted Talk on 3D printing and the complexities surrounding it.

Sidney Muntean

Student

Sidney Muntean is a junior studying Creative Writing at OCSA. She enjoys writing poetry, prose, screenplays, and hybrid forms. She is particularly interested in the intersections between varying creative art forms and believes that creativity is the best representation of humanity. Sidney is also passionate about teaching, as she holds creative writing workshops for children at her local library in addition to teaching English as a second language for children in Southeast Asia. When she’s not writing or teaching, Sidney can be found curled up with a book, off on a picnic, or dancing in the rain.

Sophia Madrigal

Student

Sophia Madrigal is an enrolled member of the Cahuilla Band of Indians and is of Turtle Mountain Chippewa descent. She is passionate about cultural revitalization and strengthening, gender equality, and storytelling. She founded the Luke Madrigal Indigenous Storytelling nonprofit to bring native art forms inspired by social justice and healing to enlighten oppressed peoples dealing with universal issues of hardship around the globe. Stories have always been a vital part of her life, in her culture/family and in school. She has been taught stories are medicine, culture is strength, women are leaders, and we have a responsibility to our ancestors. As she develops her own leadership she aspires to apply these teachings: story, culture, and responsibility to tackle the unfathomable issue of violence against indigenous women, children, elders, and the earth; and to honor her father.