Theme: Leave A Mark!

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).

Newton North High School
457 Walnut St
Newton, Massachusetts, 02460
United States

Allie Guo

Student

Allie is a 17-year-old high school junior from Newton, Massachusetts. Her academic interests currently lie in the broad category of science, more specifically neuroscience and neurobiology. These interests have led her to gain exposure in this area across a multitude of experiences–from everything ranging from volunteer work to clinical research. In the past few years, she has attended several neuroscience seminars and workshops from which she pulls much of her understanding of the topic. She loves to study the brain and neuroscience and hopes that she can share this passion with an audience. In her free time, Allie enjoys rowing on the Charles River with the Nobles Girls Crew Team, spending time with her cat Percey or coaching gymnastics as she was a dancer and elite gymnast herself for over a decade. At Nobles, completing her high school education. Her academic interests currently lie in the broad categories of philosophy and science, more specifically neuroscience.

Catherine Mattice

Chief Executive Officer

Catherine Mattice, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is the founder/CEO of Civility Partners, a consulting firm focused on helping organizations create respectful workplace cultures and specializing in turning around toxic cultures. Civility Partners’ clients range from Fortune 500's to small businesses across many industries and Catherine is an HR thought-leader who has appeared in such venues as USA Today, Bloomberg, CNN, NPR, and many other national news outlets as an expert. She’s an award-winning speaker, author and blogger, and has 52 courses reaching global audiences on LinkedIn Learning. Catherine’s award-winning book, BACK OFF! Your Kick-Ass Guide to Ending Bullying at Work, was hailed by international leadership-guru, Ken Blanchard, as, “the most comprehensive and valuable handbook on the topic.”

Crystal Harrell

Author

Crystal Harrell is a #1 Best-Selling author, motivational speaker, and certified Academic Success Coach. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Public Health at Yale University and serves part-time as a 1st Lieutenant in the US Army. Through her books and growing education blog, Crystal’s story has impacted thousands of individuals worldwide and created a push for personal growth in academia. Over the course of her academic journey, Crystal received over $670,000 in scholarship awards, including the prestigious Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholarship and the Yale School of Public Health Dean’s Research Award. She shares details of her journey to help other non-traditional students get ahead in her first #1 Best-Selling book Crystal Clear: A Journey of Self-Discovery (From Public Housing to Ivy League).

Dorien Rogers

High School Teacher

Following his graduation from Clarksburg HighSchool, Dorien left urban Montgomery County for rural Wicomico County to attend Salisbury University. With a double major of Political Science and International Studies, Dorien will wear many hats including Student Government, BSU, Sociology Front, ChangeSU, Food for the Flock, Omicron Delta Kappa, and the NAACP. From pushing to secure an official parking pass for people with disabilities to expanding multicultural student services, Dorien’s service will deepen his passion to uplift others. After earning his Bachlors, Dorien was elected State President of Maryland’s Youth/College Division of the NAACP. In his service, Dorien has worked from the streets of the community to the White House to discuss the need to advance equity, accessibility, and inclusion. Dorien is currently a History and Government teacher at Blake High School. Dorien is also involved with the FreetheDegree Coalition.

Jayda Hayman

Student

Jayda Hayman is an undergraduate student at the University of Delaware majoring in environmental studies with a concentration in environmental advocacy. With this education, Jayda intends on working as an environmental activist with her primary career interests surrounding issues of environmental justice and international relations. After partaking in work and research highlighting the environmental disparities brought onto various communities, Jayda developed a burning desire to learn more about how marginalized communities combat the evident effects of climate change. And from that, she looks towards being the voice for those who may not have one to speak out on these devastating situations. In addition to focusing on the human rights aspect of environmental neglect, Jayda also hopes to spread environmental science education to children all over as a means to promote the upmost care for the natural world.

Justin Green

Fair Education Advocate

Justin Green is a fair education advocate currently enrolled at the Gloucester County Institute of Technology in New Jersey. He was appointed and sworn in as the school’s Student Member of the Board of Education in early October.

Kady McKenna

Student

Kady is a 13 year old 8th grader and honor student at Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando, FL where she serves on the Leadership Team and as Captain of the middle school volleyball team. She is an AAU Academic All American Scholar and was selected as one of only nine students chosen statewide to receive the Florida Agricultural History & Creativity award from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Kady launched eTreasure, Inc. in March 2015. Since then, Kady and her charity have been recognized as a global leader in electronics collection and recycling, awarded the Everyday Young Hero Award by Youth Service America, the President’s Environmental Youth Award and Kady was selected the Young Environmentalist of the Year by the John Muir Association. Kady’s book, “Sammy the Cell Phone Gets Thrown Away” won the Independent Press Award and the 2022 BookFest Award.

Kathy James

Life Coach

As a Resiliency Speaker, Trainer and Coach, Kathy's real-world lessons are forged from her unique personal experiences as an individual who has overcome destructive generational cycles of violence, emotional abuse, alcoholism, and addiction. Gaining a deep passion for fighting for her personal goals and despite being ill-educated, Kathy went on to educate herself and to develop many skills, becoming a corporate leader and entrepreneur, goals she once thought were unattainable. When not speaking or training, Kathy can be found turning her experiences into success stories and life lessons for young adult mentorship. Her motto is, “If I can win my fight, with the odds stacked against me, so can you!”

Paula Lizarazo

Student

Paula Lizarazo is a survivor of church sexual abuse who found the strength to speak up and fight back after twelve years of silence. Today, she is advocating for those who have not found their voices, pushing against religious systemic injustices, and developing her activism skills as a Harvard student. In this moving talk, Paula sends a message of empowerment to fellow survivors of sexual violence and their significant others, telling them that trauma recovery is possible even in the most excruciating scenarios. She hopes that her talk can help reframe the narrative around child sexual abuse, by serving as a trauma-informed window into what goes through the mind of a survivor as they try to heal their wounds.

Tomi Dobbs

Community Activist

Tomi Dobbs is a speaker, community activist and founder of the One student- One book- One dream movement. At 10 years old she fulfilled her desire to become an author and wrote three books and did a TEDx Talk. Her mission is to make sure everyone has access to books and has sent over 240,000 books to people in Kenya and her home state Massachusetts.A resident of Lexington, Massachussetts and loves Biking at the Minute Man Bike Trail.