Theme: Solutions for the 21st Century

The last year has been tumultuous and challenging for everyone as the COVID-19 pandemic altered lives and changed our definition of "normal". Throughout these times, we've witnessed incredible developments in science, technology, societal movements, and various other facets- now more than ever we are in search of "Solutions for the 21st Century" as we turn to the upcoming years with hope and inspiration. At this event we will be showcasing the outstanding work of 10 amazing student speakers as they share their innovative ideas for the future.

With the health and safety of our speakers and attendees in mind, we will be presenting our event VIRTUALLY this year via a YouTube Live Webcast. See our Instagram for more updates.

Abbey Park High School Theatre
1455 Glen Abbey Gate
OAKVILLE, Ontario, L6M 2G5
Canada

Aleck Covaci

Student

Hey! My name is Aleck Covaci and I’m a grade 12 student at Robert Bateman High School in Burlington Ontario. Currently, I’m involved in the Royal Canadian Air Cadet program at 540 Golden Hawks in Oakville, where at my squadron, I’ve been holding the position of an cadet instructor, been part of the debate team for two years, and have been working on getting my pilots license over the summer of 2020 and 2021. At my school, I’m enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program and also the team captain of the wrestling team, which I’ve been a part of for three years. I’ve always been committed to inspiring others when it comes to aerospace using my own knowledge and experiences. Thus, I looked over to TEDx APHS as the best way to do such

Alisha Mohanty

Student

Hello! My name is Alisha Mohanty and I am a Grade 10 student at Abbey Park High School. I am involved in several extracurriculars including DECA, HOSA, MEDLIFE, Girl Guides of Canada, and my school’s magazine (Eagle Ink). In my spare time, I enjoy dancing, drawing, and creative writing. I am very excited to be a part of this year’s TEDx conference!

Edson Takei

Student

My name is Edson Takei and I’m a grade 12 student at Abbey Park HS. As an international student starting my life in Canada, I believe in the importance of connecting with people and the power we have in inspiring others around us. I’ve always been involved in different extracurriculars and although I wouldn’t consider myself exceptional in any of them, they always taught me important things that I apply in different aspects of my life. As a student fascinated about the world around me I was introduced to research and the scientific method at a very young age conducting projects based on the autoimmune disease Multiple Sclerosis since the beginning of 2018. I hope to use the TEDx@AbbeyParkHS platform to inspire others to look at what surrounds them by different lenses showing how the scientific method can be applied to problems we face in our everyday lives.

Ethan Chiang

Student

Hi, my name is Ethan Chiang and I am a Grade 10 student at White Oaks. I am very engaged in extracurricular activities and clubs, such as debate, public speaking, science fairs, Model UN, DECA, air cadets, etc. I am very passionate about public speaking and debating. I have been debating competitively since 2 years ago and have won several awards, most notably at Canadian National Debating Championships. I’ve placed at national competitions like Canada-Wide Science Fair and Young Writers of Canada. I am beyond excited to utilize TEDxYouth @APHS as an outlet to not only foster awareness of social and environmental development, but also for personal growth.

Jordan Dancyger

Student

My name is Jordan Dancyger and I’m a student at Abbey Park High School. I’m very involved with acting and doing tech for community theatre in Oakville and I have a passion for drama and public speaking. I also run a little free library in my neighbourhood to provide free books for people in the community. I’m very excited to be a part of this year’s TEDx conference and I hope my speech inspires people to think about how they can better collaborate with others!

Krish Joshi

Student

My name is Krish Joshi, and I am a Grade 12 student from Robert Bateman HS in Burlington, Ontario. I am currently completing the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. I have always been fascinated by the world around me and I aspire to have a positive impact on society. I have taken part in many science fairs, and have won twice at the national level and several regional awards with projects based in health sciences. I am also a member of the New York Academy of Sciences, through which I collaborate internationally with other students and professionals in STEM on projects ranging from climate change to global malnutrition. In school, I am involved in a variety of clubs, including Student Council, Model UN, and DECA. When I’m not involved in STEM/school-related activities, I enjoy listening to music, binge-watching my favorite TV shows, reading, playing table tennis and badminton. Through the TedX platform, I hope to inspire kids to go out into the world and make a difference.

Kusha Shirani

Student

Hi! My name is Kusha and I’m in grade 10 at Abbey Park High school. I consider myself an ambassador for positive change in my community. My guiding principle in life is in order to see a positive change in our world, we all need to put on our “can do” attitude, push our boundaries, start a change in ourselves and through a butterfly effect inspire change in others. I’m involved in different youth advisory committees and I’ve organized many community projects to bring positive changes. I’m a silver Duke of Edinburgh International Award holder and I have played soccer competitively for the past 10 years. I’m also engaged in many clubs at school: I’m the founder of “APHS Connect” which promotes mental wellbeing, chapter leader for “TU 20”, HOSA , Eagle Ink, Medlife, Tutoring club and Yearbook. In my free time, I enjoy editing videos, playing FIFA with friends, and playing guitar. I’m excited to share my ideas with others as a way to inspire them to make a positive impact in the world.

Kyle Newcombe

Student

Hello! My name is Kyle Newcombe, and I’m a grade 12 student attending Abbey Park High School. At my school, I’ve completed the Business Specialist High Skills Major program and I’ve also been involved with the ski team and the sound and lighting crew, when those were running. I’m also an avid technology and business enthusiast; with these interests, it probably makes sense that I’m excited about blockchain and cryptocurrency technology. I figured TEDx APHS was an excellent opportunity to shed some light on this often overlooked and misunderstood technology as a solution for the 21st century.

Rufaida Abdu

Student

Hello! My name is Rufaida Abdu, a Libyan-Canadian and a proud Muslim. I am a daughter, sister, student, tutor and a volunteer. I love interacting with people and building connections. I love helping people and problem solving. Most importantly, I love learning and spreading my knowledge. I am constantly volunteering in my community, especially in programs that work with children. Working with children will be the focus of my future and thus I fill much of my free time learning about them. Education has always been a topic that moved me into wanting to make a difference. I want all girls to be in school and achieving what they have always dreamed of. Through the TEDX platform, I hope to educate people on girls education and move them into being a part of the solution. Through education we can solve any problem.

Victoria Dmitruczyk

Student

Hi! I’m Victoria Dmitruczyk, and I’m obsessed with finding ways to implement various technologies for the sake of unlocking the vast amount of untapped human potential that is present on Earth. To fuel this addiction, I’ve worked on projects ranging from energy distribution to contraceptive administration in the developing world with the goal of helping improve the lives of those less fortunate than I. I’m excited to see how we can leverage emerging technologies and human ingenuity to progress our world forward as time moves on. Through the TedX platform, I want to get people excited about the future of society and technology while still highlighting ethical issues we may have to deal with in the upcoming years.