Theme: What's Next?

For the first year, students from the CEGEP Champlain St. Lawrence will have the opportunity to surpass themselves and demonstrate their communication skills by taking the stage of TEDx. Indeed, nine students aged 17 to 20 will dazzle us during this evening by sharing their inspiring ideas. The chosen theme is "What's Next". This theme was chosen as the future is less predictable than ever, and it will be these students that will shape it. Join us for an unforgettable evening as we celebrate the creativity, passion, and vision of these young minds at TEDx CEGEP Champlain St. Lawrence on October 24th 2024.

TEDx Cégep Champlain St. Lawrence
90 Av. Nérée-Tremblay
Second Floor
Québec, Quebec, G1V 4K2
Canada

Abigail Esther Mendez Mora

Student

My name is Abigail Esther Mendez Mora, and at 17, I've experienced a life of change, born in the U.S. with Panamanian heritage and now living in Quebec. I've moved frequently, experiencing obstacles as well as opportunities: 12 homes, 10 schools and 3 languages. Each transition has taught me the vital skill of adaptability in our rapidly changing world. This leads me to share with you all the power of adaptability and how embracing change can shape our identities and empower us to face the uncertain future with confidence.

Abraham Eyestone

Student

Hello, my name is Abraham Eyestone. I am a second-year student at Cegep Champlain Saint Lawrence. I have had a strong interest in geography ever since I started school. The expansion into the Arctic has begun, and many other countries are taking advantage of the melting of the ice. As a northern country with ice in our borders, I believe it is necessary to exploit these new opportunities before it is too late.

Dev Aditya

AI Expert

Dev Aditya is an expert in AI from London, UK. He led the team that built the first Digital Human AI teacher (OIAI) with the mission to upskill 750 million learners globally by 2030. Currently, his AI teachers are active in 8 countries, serving universities, corporates, and marginalized learners directly. Dev Aditya has also developed a specialist teaching and learning LLM, OIMISA-7B. He has been recognized by the UK Prime Minister for his work and has been named a Young Global Innovator and Under 30 Social Entrepreneur (Mint). For his AI research, Dev was awarded $250,000 in funding by Innovate UK. His research in AI and HCI includes work with The Alan Turing Institute and Brunel University London, and he regularly publishes in this space. His initiatives are currently operating in 15 countries.

Dominic Gaumont

Student

My name is Dominic Gaumont, a student of both natural and social sciences at Cegep St. Lawrence, and I am equally intrigued by the wonders of the natural world and the inner workings of society. For me, my talk on the social and ethical implications of genomics represents the confluence of my three passions: exploring exciting and innovative science; compassionately engaging with people to understand and improve their lives; and artfully crafting words to convey complex, abstract ideas.

Jordan Tchouamou Tchiadjeu

Student

Hi, my name is Jordan Tchouamou, and I'm 18 years old. At the moment, I'm a second-year student in the social science program at CEGEP St-Lawrence. Since I was young, I have been passionate about politics because I realized its importance in the well-being of societies. Seeing that many people are not truly interested in it gave me the idea of using this opportunity to present a glimpse of it and arouse people's interest. This way, I can be the change I desire to see in the world. I'm especially interested in the BRICS countries and how they might affect the future global dynamic. Although these emerging economies are often viewed negatively, I believe there are significant opportunities for them to change the dynamics of international trade and the global economy. In my talk, I'll examine how the BRICS nations might influence the future, emphasizing the advantages and revolutionary shifts they could bring later on.

Justin Simard

Student

My name's Justin, I'm 18. There's nothing I love more in this world than human behavior, psychology, success, health, and fulfillment—just that. I do enjoy soccer... a lot. Plus, I study the "art of fulfillment" and the "science of achievement" as a full-time job (kind of). My goal is to convince as many people as possible that authenticity is the right bet for them: authenticity in their character, behaviors, and dreams. By the way, go after them. You'll learn and figure it out on the way.

Louis-Philippe Gervais

Student

My name is Louis-Philippe Gervais. I have a passion for mathematics, and more specifically for math subjects that can be applied to the real world. In my TEDx talk, I will present an example of an application of calculus and statistics: population growth models. For those of you less interested in mathematics, don't worry! I will not go into the nitty-gritty of the mathematical methods used but will rather put the emphasis on the social, economical, and environmental factors considered by each model, as well as their importance in our society.

Sarah Luger

Student

As a young person coming to the age where one starts to seriously ask themselves, "What do I want to do in life?" it is safe to say that I've got a lot on my mind. When this fast-paced part of my life gets overwhelming, I cope by taking the time to relax and take breaks... on social media. I think it is safe to say that this is a pretty universal experience. As a student interested in sociology and psychology, I have been inspired to question this habit: what impact is our constant social media use having on our individual lives and on society? In my talk, I will explore how this constant pursuit of stimulation is preventing us from finding genuine satisfaction in our students lives, future careers, and beyond.

Sofiia Gagné

Student

Hi, my name is Sofiia Gagne, and I am a second-year student at Cégep Champlain St. Lawrence in the PW Sims Business Program. I am a proud Ukrainian woman who found her place in Canada over six years ago. Since I was a kid, I knew I was destined for something special, as my parents used to tell me. The moment I truly believed it, I embraced life through dance. Discovering dance changed my life completely. I am now a professional dancer representing both Canada and Ukraine on international stages, sharing my passion by teaching classes in different parts of the world. More importantly, dance is a way for me to express who I am and what I want to share with the world. One word that describes me is "Bailalma," which means "dance soul" and is also the name of my dance company and community I founded this year.

Tassnym Echchahed

Student

My name is Tassnym Echchahed, I'm 18 years old and currently studying in the science program at CEGEP St-Lawrence. I aspire to make a positive impact in the world of robotics and artificial intelligence, since I believe they are fields often despised by the public. Indeed, the general belief regarding the threats imposed by upcoming advancements in artificial intelligence seem to outweigh the benefits that such a technology can offer to humanity. More often than not, the opposite turns out to be true, a reality that I hope to depict in the eight minutes where I detail how AI algorithms have the power to be a great help to underfunded cancers.

Thomas Eckschmidt

President of the Board of CBJourney

Former farmer, with an engineering degree and Executive MBA in Finance, Thomas worked in 15 different countries. Thomas had a corporate career for 10 years, migrated to another decade of consulting work before launching himself as a serial entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Thomas received 12 awards (innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability), filed 4 patents and published 20 books. As an entrepreneur, Thomas discovered that he was an “unconscious conscious capitalist” and connected with this global movement. Thomas has launched the Conscious Capitalism movement in Latin America, he helps chapters all around the world, he has certified over 1,200 consultants in 23 countries and runs the largest network of consultants to accelerate the UPGRADE of leaders and their organizations, to create a more conscious business ecosystem.