Alexis Perez
Student
As many other seniors in high school - Alexis is worried about the future. The fear comes from the idea that she is ill-prepared for what the future holds and what role the education system plays in preparing students for the next steps in their lives. Taking the audience on a journey through the transitional periods in education, Alexis hopes to show the audience the gap that exists at all levels of preparing students to move forward.
Ceyda Koksoy
Student
Ceyda - unlike many of her peers - has a deep-rooted passion in literature. Not young adult or modern literature - classic British Literature. One of her discoveries as she endeavored further into her study of this field is the identification of the madness associated with the stories. This drove Ceyda to ask the question - is the madness attractive to me as a reader because I'm mad or does the literature lead me that way? Her talk is to address this question, and others regarding this passion topic.
Daniela Gonzalez
Student
Daniela learned early on in her school experience something most of us realize - teachers have favorites. Through this talk about her own experience, and that of others, she points out the dangers of teachers and students having favorites and how it can impact academic performance.
Hector Diaz Hernandez
Student
Hector used to keep a secret from those around him - he is a geek. He geeks out over all types of shows, movies and other things pop-culture related. He comes to the stage to not only discuss his passions but to share why the world would be a better place if we can all geek out.
Kiana Nazari
Student
Kiana is a child who grew up with change - changes in environments and in living situations - that made herself and others question where she belongs. In this personal talk, Kiana takes the stage to identify what makes someone "foreign" to a culture that is their own.
Maanav Gupta
Student and Podcaster
Maanav found a passion in sports early on in his life - instead of just being a passive fan - he moved into the world of sports writing and broadcasting. With no formal training, Maanav has made a following and has landed interviews with some of the biggest names in sports. He comes to the stage to share his story about the first step he took in finding success.
Michelle Noriega
Student
Michelle struggles with anxiety - there are many just like her - she takes the stage to show how she manages it and the multiple ways in which in manifests itself and how to identify those when it is ever-changing.
Olubusayo Osinubi
Student
Olubusayo is proud of her heritage - she also is intrigued by the impact that other cultures have both on her own heritage as well as her culture has when appropriated. In this celebratory talk of culture, Olubusayo shows the audience why she is so proud.
Sofia Alvarez
Student
Sofia, as many people her own age have, has a part time job while in school. Unfortunately, Sofia's experience hasn't been completely positive and she has often had to experience sexual harassment at the workplace. In this insightful talk, Sofia looks at multiple stories of harassment and asks what the next step is to solve the problem.
Soraya Sato
Student
Soraya, as many children do, grew up with scoliosis. While fairly common, Soraya comes to the stage to share the experience through the lens of the social-emotional impact this can have on children and what we can do to support them.