Theme: Identity

11 students will present message they think our community needs to hear about identity.

TEDxClearLakeHighSchool
2929 Bay Area Blvd
Houston, Texas, 77058
United States

Alexandra Dursonova

Foreign Exchange Student

Since coming to the U.S. as a scholar exchange student from Kazakhstan, Alexandra has spent her time as an ambassador of her country performing at various events and conferences. During her exchange year, Alexandra has researched the key aspects of how to be a successful international student and how to spend a year abroad with a great outcome. She believes that no matter how complex the process can be, exchange students are a critical support to official U.S. diplomacy and an essential part of building multinational relationships for the future.

Amelie Nguyen

Student, Writer

Amelie has always been fascinated with all types of creators–from content creators, to musical artists, to book authors–and always admired their creative genius from afar. Creativity was always put on the backburner for her: it felt incompatible with school, and impossible to come up with anything original. However, after deep-diving into these creators, along with her own personal “experiment,” she’s come to realize that maybe creative genius isn’t as unattainable as many think.

Avery Kita

Student Researcher

Avery Kita is also a junior at Clear Lake High School. She is constantly searching for new topics to learn about and ways to expand her knowledge. With hobbies such as light reading, listening to music, and contemplating the paradoxical structure of life, she was bound for the topic of runaways. In school, she is active in the Gardening Club and the school orchestra.

Emma Qiao

Student, Dancer, Thinker

For Emma and her speech partner Kareena, 2020 marked the beginning of what became an ongoing identity crisis; and they are not the only ones. As social media becomes an increasingly more prevalent constituent of every day life, Kareena and Emma aim to discuss the question; am I really a reflection of my true identity, or rather a fabricated version based on media trends and micro-labels. Through this speech, Kareena and Emma hope to utilize their new understanding and research to bring to light the effects of social media on the development of one’s identity.

Jason Sha

Student Thinker

In a world filled to the brim with technology, individual voices and attempts to listen have been put on mute by the constant bustling and business of life. When Jason Sha began noticing this in his own life, he began to wonder – how could the issue of a lack of listening be alleviated? While exploring the role that technology plays in the obstruction of interpersonal communication through personal anecdotes and simple analogies, Jason presents both the positive benefits and negative detriments that “listening unplugged” will provide.

Joseph Zhang

Student Researcher

Joseph Zhang is a dedicated junior at Clear Lake High School, with a passion for the field of cell biology. In his pursuit of knowledge and experience, Joseph has already made significant strides in the scientific community. He competed in the Science and Engineering Fair of Houston and placed second in the Medicine and Health category. He has also attended TERMIS - AM, where he discussed his work with professionals. Despite the controversy surrounding stem cell research, Joseph is committed to shedding light on the potential of hASC research and its implications for future medical advancements.

Kareena Antony

Student, Dancer, Thinker, Debater

For Kareena and her speaking partner Emma, 2020 marked the beginning of what became an ongoing identity crisis; and they are not the only ones. As social media becomes an increasingly more prevalent constituent of every day life, Kareena and Emma aim to discuss the question; am I really a reflection of my true identity, or rather a fabricated version based on media trends and micro-labels. Through this speech, Kareena and Emma hope to utilize their new understanding and research to bring to light the effects of social media on the development of one’s identity.

Livia Woolery

Student Researcher and Competitive Swimmer

Livia Woolery is a sophomore at Clear Lake High School. She has a passionate love for competitive swimming, competition, the pursuit of progress, and is an experienced expert in the field of indecision. She seeks to explore the roots of human decision and how we can surpass these barriers.

Matias Martin

Student Researcher

Matias Martin is a graduating senior. He has a background in student research within behavioral analysis, specifically in sports and verbal behavior. He has also interned at the University of Houston-Clear Lake applied behavioral analysis graduate program and has presented a poster project at the University of Houston-Clear Lake Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts. Matias strives to share the complexities of human language and its integral role in communication.

Megan Wang

Student Researcher

Megan Wang is a jovial junior at Clear Lake High School. Her academic fascinations lie in her life and social sciences. As a teenager with a furious imagination, one of her interests involves understanding the psychology of youth runaways. She is an active participant in orchestra, HOSA, STEM siblings, and the National Honor Society. In her spare time, she loves to bake and enjoy time with family.

Nicholas Zhou

Student Historian and Martial Arts Instructor

Nicholas Zhou (Joe) came from the Zhou family, the fifth family in Chinese history to get its surname from the first emperor of China. Nicholas teaches young students in Martial Arts at a local dojo. Now, nearing his 6th official year as a teacher, Nicholas wishes to understand more of his history, striving to reach the past of the world and go towards an enlightened future.