TEDxJenks Youth

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Addy Falat

  Student

  Hi! I'm Addison Falat, a senior at Jenks High School. I am involved as NHS President, Trojanaires Section Leader, Tri-M, as well as STUCO and ISP. Outside of school, I am also involved with National Charity League, serving on the national board and president of my local chapter, and I work for The Pearl House. My Ted Talk aims to rediscover the meaning of happiness versus joy, diving into Dr. Martin Seligman’s PERMA model, and branching into a fulfilling life. After High school, I will attend Lipscomb University in Nashville, studying Business Management with a focus in Nonprofit Leadership!

• Aiyaz Sayeed

  Student

  Hello, my name is Aiyaz Sayeed, and I am a junior at Jenks High School. I am involved in several academic and extracurricular organizations, including TSA, Science Olympiad, HOSA, Mock Trial, Academic Team, Math Club, Speech and Debate, and Jenks ISP. I also serve as a chairperson on a Youth Advisory Board focused on stimulant use among adolescents, where I have gained insight into the importance of lived experiences in shaping public health outcomes. In my TED Talk, I will examine the limitations of current approaches to societal health and highlight how incorporating personal experiences can strengthen policies and programs. As substance use becomes more widespread, a one-size-fits-all response is no longer effective; instead, meaningful progress requires more personalized, adaptive solutions that better reflect the diverse needs of individuals

• Arin Tripathy

  Student

  Hi! I’m Arin Tripathy, a sophomore at Jenks High School. I am a dedicated member of the Speech and Debate team, TSA chapter and academic team. I also serve as the Treasurer of the Class of 2028 office and as a teaching assistant for MATHCOUNTS. This year, my speech focuses on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative brain disorder that can potentially develop in one’s high school years. By describing the condition, quantifying its impacts, and explaining what is actively being implemented to address the issue, I hope to spread awareness on this important topic. I’m so grateful to be able to share my perspective on the issue via the TedxYouth platform through my talk “Study My Brain Please”.

• Arka Debray

  Student

  Hello, my name is Arka Debray. I am a 16 year old living in Jenks, Oklahoma and it is currently my 10th grade year in Jenks High School. Over the years, I have found out that I am passionate about knowing interesting topics in academics. I am especially fond of researching and understanding psychological and neurological events and activities that people engage in, figuring out why that is and what purpose it has or had in human evolution. My current topic about why we procrastinate does just that, tackling a psychological issue that people face and discussing why it happens. Importantly, the speech will also go over some human solutions, going out of just “science” to explain how different systems can play a role in stopping or discouraging procrastination.

• Arnav Iyengar

  Student

  Hi, my name is Arnav Iyengar and I am a current freshman at Jenks High School. I am an actively involved member of Speech and Debate, TSA, Science Olympiad, Mock Trial, and Academic Team. I am very appreciative of the opportunity TedxYouth provided me to speak my mind over something I am very passionate about through my speech, “A Moment Frozen in Time”. In my presentation, I analyze the current societal stigma regarding failure, and the 2 dimensional idea of what success should look like in the communities we hold close. By exploring new perspectives, challenging conventional ideas of greatness, and revealing how labelling theory quietly shapes our everyday lives, I hope to create meaningful change and offer a clear path forward for an issue that is far too common yet far too overlooked.

• Catherine Clary

  Student

  Hi! I’m Catherine Clary, a Junior at Jenks High School. I’m involved in the International Scholars program, Model UN, NHS, the Environmental Club, and Chinese Club. I believe one of the most significant forces that shape our lives is often overlooked: our attitude. In my TEDx talk I want to explore what happens when we adjust our attitude like we adjust a lens—and how doing so can change the way we experience life itself. This is important to me because teaching the art of attitude can help us overcome adversity in our lives and take control of the uncontrollable.

• Claire Walker

  Student

  Claire Walker is an AP student with a 4.3 weighted GPA, a competitive dancer, and a local titleholder in the Miss Oklahoma Organization. She is a junior at Jenks, and her dad is in his first year of being head coach of the Jenks Baseball team. In this talk, Claire shares her passion for encouraging teens to step up and make a life-saving impact through blood donation.

• Emma Royal

  Student

  Hi! My name is Emma Royal and I am a senior at Jenks High School. I am the President of Student Council and the Oklahoma Association of Student Council’s District 7 Vice President. I am very grateful to be given an opportunity to speak about my passion for physics. My topic this year is focusing on the new advancements and introduction of Quantum Entanglement, specifically what it is, pop culture’s adaptation, research processes, and how it benefits our scientific understandings of the quantum realm. While this talk is informational, I hope it can give you a new understanding and appreciation to the inner-workings of the universe around us!

• Jack Whiteley

  Student

  Hi! My name is Jack Whiteley and I’ll be a speaker for TedX this year. I’m involved in ISP, NHS, Tri-M, and the Trojan Pride. My talk is about sarcasm and how it impacts conversation and communication. I plan to study Music Education at the University of Oklahoma next year.

• Lisa Mungai

  Student

  Hi!! My name is Lisa Mungai and I’m a junior here at Jenks High School involved in AVID, Pre-Med Society, NHS, and Track and Field. My TED talk will discuss the sociological aspects that directly influence stigma around menstruation. I aim to address the multitude of gaps in education surrounding menstrual health and how the lack of adequate knowledge has framed many misconceptions and challenges both culturally and socially when it comes to one’s personal beliefs. I hope this talk will educate both girls and boys on the importance of creating safe environments where people regardless of their age can seek help and support when they need it.

• Maddie Cardon

  Student

  Hi! I’m Maddie Cardon, a junior at Jenks High School. I play varsity lacrosse and I’m in International Scholars Program. I’m so excited to be speaking at TEDx Jenks Youth! My talk is about what we can learn from caregivers about preventing dementia. By hearing stories and seeing the day to day experiences of people who’ve cared for loved ones with dementia, we start to notice patterns; certain habits and lifestyle choices that might actually help lower risk. I hope my talk shines a light on how the little things we do every day can add up to make a huge difference in our brain health and future. I’m so excited to share this with you!

• Matthew Mungai

  Student

  Hi! I’m Matthew Mungai, a freshman at Jenks High School. I compete in Debate, Mock Trial, TSA, and Academic Team and serve as treasurer for Student Council. In my talk, I argue that human attention has been transformed turned into a commodity, quietly costing us our lives. Like the Pied Piper, corporations create platforms to lead us deeper into this cycle without us ever questioning where we are headed. So what would it look like to finally break free? I offer a simple framework for reclaiming our focus, and ultimately, our lives.

• Nyla Tripathy

  Student

  Hi! I am Nyla Tripathy, a sophomore at Jenks High School, and I’m so excited to be speaking at the Jenks TEDxYouth event again this year! In my talk, “Party in the U.S.A.,” I explore the rise of performance patriotism-how, in today’s digital world, expressions of national pride often focus on appearance rather than meaningful action. I hope to inspire people to think about what genuine engagement and responsibility for their country can look like. Beyond TEDx, I am involved in Speech and Debate, TSA, Pre-Med Club, Academic Team, and the Class of 2028 Office.

• Raymond Chen

  Student

  Hello Everyone! My name is Raymond Chen and I am a current Sophomore at Jenks High School. I am actively involved in Speech and Debate, Academic Team, and Mock Trial. I’m passionate about understanding how history shapes our perspectives today. Through my talk, I explore a pressing question: as we emphasize remembering the past, especially times of atrocity and violence, when did the line between forgiving and forgetting begin to blur?

• Sahas Vemula

  Student

  Hey! I’m Sahas Vemula, a junior at Jenks High School. I’m involved in activities like Science Olympiad, Debate, and a Stanford CoLab with Chinese students on Climate Change Solutions. Through it all, I've learned about science and communication. I believe one of the most urgent issues facing our generation is hidden in plain sight: suicide. In my TEDx talk, I want to explore how the way we talk about mental health has shaped how we're seen. We are all human beings but the conversation around mental health has been disparaged. This is important because it's a conversation that shakes the very foundation of our lives.

• Tong Simte

  Student

  Hello, I'm Tong Simte, an eleventh-grade student at Jenks High School interested in science and understanding human behavior. I'm involved in HOSA, Science Olympiad, Pre-Med Club, Illustrators Club, and perform with the Jenks Orchestra. I also mentor and teach a small group of my church's youth, small bits of theology, but don't worry, religious bias out of my question for my talk. My TedTalk will guide you all as we explore how constant exposure to extreme news through social media and technology may be desensitizing us, and how that exposure shapes the way we process and respond to real-world issues. I look forward to speaking with you all as we dive into this daunting yet intriguing topic, and I hope to leave a lasting impression.

• Vincent Huang

  Student

  Hi, my name is Vincent Huang, and I'm a junior from Jenks High School. I am involved with Speech and Debate, Mock Trial, Academic Team, TSA, and Science Olympiad. This year, my topic will be on the perceived moral decline after COVID. Specifically, in my talk, I will explore the shift towards hyper-individualism in the United States and how it has slowly formed a "me vs. them mentality", impacting not only our decision-making processes but the way we form connections. I hope that through my talk, you will be able to understand that success doesn't need to come at the cost of our moral codes, but rather, that they work together to help us never lose sight of who we are and help us win at the game of life.

• Vir Beniwal

  Student

  Hi, I'm Vir Beniwal, a sophomore at Jenks High School. I play varsity tennis and am involved in sophomore class officers, HOSA, Pre-Med Club, and Science Olympiad. I'm also the founder of the Jenks Cooking Club. Last year, I was a member of the Chamber Orchestra, where I played cello. After deciding to step away from orchestra, I began reflecting on why quitting something can feel like failure, even when it might actually be the right choice. That experience led me to explore the idea behind my TEDx talk, which looks at how students often stay committed to activities out of habit, pressure, or the fear of quitting, and why learning to step back and reevaluate our commitments can sometimes be the healthiest form of growth.

• Vung Muan

  Student

  Hi! I’m Vung Muan, a student at Jenks High School and a speaker for TEDxJenks Youth. I am involved in Science Olympiad, HOSA, Pre-Med, Key Club and ISP. My research offers a new lens on the immigrant experience, moving beyond physical borders to explore how ‘virtual acculturation’ is shaping the next generation. I am excited to reveal the invisible impact of our digital habits and how we can empower youth to balance their rich heritage with a globalized future.