Theme: Open Arms, Wholesome Hearts

In the spirit of community-building, TEDxBonitaVista is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share their experiences about being part of various communities. At our TEDx event, live speakers come together to ignite insightful discussion and illicit a connection with the audience. Social development sits at the core of our conference to foster an open-minded and caring atmosphere.

Bonita Vista High School Bolles Theater
751 Otay Lakes Road
Chula Vista, California, 91913
United States

Alexa Castruita

Environmental Activist

My name is Alexa Castruita, a senior at Hilltop High School. I am highly interested in environmental justice and policy and have pursued these interests through school clubs and work opportunities. At school, I am president of the Interact Club, a group of students dedicated to community service, and co-founder of the Environmental Justice & Sustainability Club. I am also part of the school’s ASB and Vice President of my senior class. Outside of school, I am involved with Youth4Climate, the youth-focused group at a local environmental non-profit called SanDiego350. Through all this work, my main goal and hope is to integrate and uplift vulnerable communities in situations where they have long been forgotten.

Alexis Garcia

Club Blue President

Alexis Garcia is a senior at Bonita Vista High School who rose to the position of the president of Club Blue, the band program. She grew up watching her older siblings immerse themselves in music, and she always felt like she belonged in the mix. Not just because of her love for music but because of the community that naturally comes with it. During her freshman year, she learned what being part of a program truly was about: family. Alexis spent every moment learning about the power of music with those she cherishes the most. Until the COVID pandemic hit. However, it was the only program she felt stayed connected throughout quarantine and did a wonderful job encouraging others to join. Now that she is the president it’s her last chance to open her arms and let her peers see her wholesome heart.

Dianna Lopez

Instructional Assistant-Behavior Specialist

Dianna K. Lopez is an Instructional Assistant-Behavior Specialist. She has worked for the Chula Vista Elementary School District for 20 years, 17 of those years at Harborside Elementary School. She has held her current position with specialty training in Trauma-Informed Schools, Restorative Practices, Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) certified, and Sanford Harmony; focusing on Social Emotional Learning. She is on the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Tier I and Tier II Teams. She supports students and builds bridges within her community. She works to ensure students are connected to at least one adult on campus and can identify and regulate emotions by creating a plan for successful replacement behaviors and skills for the future. She is passionate in her field by her own childhood struggles. Growing up in the foster care system from age of seven to emancipation at the beginning of her senior year, she knows that “every child is one caring adult away from success.”

Jason Conge

Deputy Public Defender for San Diego County

If you asked 18-year-old Jason what he wanted to be when he grew up, the title “deputy public defender” was not included in his top 10 list. But as things turned out, he couldn’t think of a better fit for his career. Life can take you on some unusual twists and turns, but ultimately, Jason believes you end up where you’re supposed to be. Defending the accused is an extremely stressful, challenging, and sometimes insurmountable task that requires relentless effort. But there is an old saying, if you want to save someone from hell, you have to go there first, to get them out. Jason will share with you his experiences as a public defender, what led him down this path, and the trials and errors he endured along the way.

Marina Dillingham

AP/IB World Language Teacher

Marina Dillingham is an AP and IB French and Spanish teacher at Bonita Vista High School in Chula Vista, California. Originally from Córdoba, Argentina, Marina is fluent in Spanish, French, and Italian. She received her undergraduate degree from UCLA, her teaching credential from SDSU, and an MA in Education from Grand Canyon University. She also studied in France at the Université Paul Valéry in Montpellier, where she acquired the language and culture that would inspire her personally and guide her career. In an effort to share her passion for travel and experiencing other cultures, Marina has led student groups abroad in linguistic exchanges with high schools in France and Italy. Marina has been teaching French and Spanish for over 30 years and is currently World Language TOSA for Sweetwater Union High School District. She is also an AP Reader and College Board Consultant for French.