Theme: Perception Reimagined

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).

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

Adam Fletcher

Social Media Analysist

My name is Adam Fletcher and I am an eleventh grader at Jenks High School. While I do not have much experience with public speaking, I am excited to have the opportunity to learn this skill through TEDx. As a highschooler, I have witnessed the effects of social media on both my peers and myself. With the advent of quarantine as a result of the pandemic, this has provided me with an opportunity to study the psychological effects of quarantine in an isolated environment. In my talk, I will address both the negative and positive outcomes of social media use on highschool students at home.

Ariana Sayeed

Anti-Slacktivism Activist

My name is Ariana Sayeed and I'm a senior from Jenks High School. As a part of this generation, social media plays a big part of my life from entertainment, news, and even activism. Unfortunately, with social media it's been too easy to only like a post or attach a hashtag to a movement and label it activism. In my talk, "The Liking Situation", I'd like to emphasize this form of "slacktivism", the harmful ideology behind it, and how we can truly turn a like for a picture worth a thousand words into a thousand actions.

Hannah Varickappallil

Education Skeptic

I am Hannah Varickappalli, an eleventh grader at Union High School. I have not been active in the Union Speech and Debate team, but I love to speak and discuss topics that will help our community. As a firm believer in quality education for everyone, one of my favorite topics to discuss is how we can improve education so students can apply that knowledge to their life. In my talk I will address the ways how we can improve education so that students can retain the knowledge being taught and provide a hopeful solution.

Hayley Ortwein

History Investigator

Hi, my name is Hayley Ortwein and I’m an eleventh grade student at Jenks High School. I have been an active member of the Jenks Speech and Debate team since the beginning of high school and feel incredibly passionate towards American politics and what role history plays in influencing political trends. As someone who will have taken more history classes than anything else by the end of senior year, the quality of that type of education is important to me. In my talk, I will discuss the problems in American High School Historical Education, and what potential solutions to those problems may be.

Hea Pushpraj

Unity Activist

Hea Pushpraj is a senior at Booker T. Washington High School and a passionate member of her school’s Speech and Debate Team. Through her participation in Speech and Debate Tournaments, she has learned about the widespread implications of hyperpolarization and ‘us vs. them’ mentality within modern society. Performing her second TEDxYouth Talk, Hea Pushpraj will explore the beauty of a more empathetic world and the benefits of stepping into each other’s shoes.

Izabella Betancourth-Pollett

Healthy Lifestyle Advocate

I am Izabella Pollett, an eleventh grader at Booker T. Washington High School. I have been a passionate member of Booker T's robotics team, the RoboHornets, and hope to pursue a STEM career. Within STEM and school, I have been in the constant effort of maintaining a high standard of execution, some may consider this perfection. This has caused me to lose hours to one homework assignment, just to ensure everything is "perfect". During the course of my talk, I will discuss the effects of this lifestyle, and how we need to change our idea of perfection.

Jasmine Moss

Research Analysist

My name is Jasmine Moss, a junior at Jenks High School. I am a member of several clubs, such as the Pre-Med Society, Key Club Society, and National Honor Society, and am a competitive swimmer for both high school and club teams. I predominantly enjoy reading and listening to music, though I can also be found hiking, doing a jigsaw puzzle, or struggling to finish school work. In my talk, I will be addressing the extent that biological sex bias exists in Covid-19 clinical research, as it is my AP Research project. My interest in this topic stems from the coronavirus being such an influential presence in our lives this past year, and the importance of female rights to me as an individual.

Kayla Cao

Mental Health Speaker

My name is Kayla Cao and I am an eleventh grader at Jenks High School. I am involved in an organization called Youth Philanthropy Initiative and for the past two years, my YPI cohort has been researching the topic of mental health. Through this research, I have discovered a passion for increasing mental health awareness which is why I will be discussing the role of gender in mental health stigma in my talk.

Leslie Graff

Dungeon Master

Hello! I am Leslie Graff, a Junior at Jenks High School. I’m an upstart game developer, concept artist, and musician, but I’m also an avid fan of Dungeons and Dragons. Dungeons and Dragons has been a huge platform of expression and growth for myself and many others. Therefore, I would like to do my best, as both a speaker and a Dungeon Master, to not only introduce you to DnD, but address the many ways that playing can improve our communities and our personal lives.

Nayna Nambiar

Healthcare Advocate

I am Nayna Nambiar, a senior at Holland Hall. I am currently my school’s Student Body President and have been an active StuCo member/ leader for the past 7 years. I am also involved in multiple healthcare programs and organizations within my school and in the greater Tulsa community as medicine is passion and I hope to pursue a career in the medical field in the future. Living through a pandemic over this past year interested me in the science behind viruses and what COVID-19 really is. I was able to work in a lab over the summer and throughout my senior year on projects concerning SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and feline coronaviruses. And to my surprise, I got COVID-19. Whether we like to admit or not, COVID-19 changed our lives forever. As a teenager, it was a lot of change all at once. Life, school, families looked different during this time. During my talk, I will be addressing my story and how COVID-19 has shaped my life and people all across the world.

Prisha Reddy

Educational Skeptic

My name is Prisha Reddy, and I am a sophomore at Booker T. Washington High School. I am part of my school’s Speech and Debate team and am interested in becoming a doctor when I grow up. From a young age, I have taken an interest in academics and even been part of the gifted and talented program. In this country, the gifted and talented program is viewed as a prize only available to those who are naturally gifted. However, in my speech, I will explain why this narrative is false and how it is harming students today. Additionally, I will provide an alternative that will uplift students and provide a better environment for students to learn.

Priya George, Chloe Gough, and Emma Zemanek

Race Acitivists

Our names are Chloe Gough, Emma Zemanek, and Priya George; we are seniors at Jenks High School. Our interactions with peers and community members has instilled in us a passion to make society a better place, regardless of one’s race. This past year violent actions taken against members of various racial groups has made it abundantly clear that racism will remain a more pressing issue unless initiative is taken. Together we will shed a light on current racial tensions and introduce the benefits of global citizenship, specifically their potential to mitigate racial tensions and fuel awareness and empathy within the younger generations.

Rachel Tiong

Analytical Viewer

My name is Rachel Tiong and I am a senior at Jenks High School. I am President of the Jenks Science Olympiad team and a member of Mock Trial, Chamber Orchestra, and the International Scholars Program. As a person who loves playing board games and card games, I developed an interest in game theory and its wide-range of applications. In my talk, I will explain what game theory is and how it can be used to predict human behavior both in games and in life.

Rajdeep Kaur

Anxiety Management Activist

My name is Rajdeep Kaur and I am an eleventh grader at Jenks High School. I am the Vice President of Finance for DECA and am very active in Mock Trial, driving my passion for leadership even further. With this comes much stress and anxiety, which I have noticed and studied, isn’t just for students who have a rigorous schedule but for many students overall. I will be addressing the major issue of how much school pressure and peer interaction affects anxiety levels in students, how much it affects a students future, and what might be some helpful solutions to problems.

Tina Pham

Accountability Activist

My name is Tina Pham and I am a sophomore at Jenks High School. I am an active member of the Jenks Speech and Debate team and through my passion for public speaking, I hope to make a positive impact on society. As a person of color, I’ve often noticed the racism embedded into the conversations around me and this experience has strongly influenced the speeches I write. In my speech, I will discuss society’s tendency to move on from issues without thoroughly addressing them, how it’s exemplified in issues such as racism, and how we as a society can work to alleviate this problem.