TEDxBBN Youth

Speakers

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

• Cookie Nassif

  Junior

  Cookie Nassif is a junior at BB&N with a passion for storytelling, history, and amplifying diverse perspectives. She is especially interested in how historical events and personal narratives shape the way people understand the world today. Outside of school, Cookie has spent years training in Taekwondo and enjoys exploring journalism and analyzing media & literature. Through her talk, she hopes to reflect on the value of humbleness and encourage others to reconsider what it means to succeed and carry themselves with perspective.

• James Tao

  Freshman

  James Tao is a freshman at BB&N. James is the Co-President of the Golf For Care Club at my school and enjoys hosting golf events. He has been on the Varsity Golf team since eighth grade, and enjoys being part of both the Robotics and Speech & Debate teams. Throughout middle school, he was the cover artist and wrote for the Spark Newspaper at BB&N, and he contributes to the Vanguard now. Currently, he is part of the freshman Jazz band and plays the piano. He enjoys reading, writing, drawing, photography, golf outside of school, and watching movies.

• Ria Nigwekar

  Freshman

  Ria Nigwekar is a freshman at BB&N who enjoys music and engaging with the community. She’s a member of student council, SASA, and helps plan events across the school. Apart from her extracurriculars and school work, Ria loves playing piano, especially with her friends, as well as volleyball in and out of school. In her free time Ria enjoys making crafts, artwork, and sewing.

• Rishaan Chowdhury

  Freshman

  Rishaan Chowdhury is a freshman at BB&N who likes writing and debate. A member of the debate and MUN clubs, Rishaan enjoys going to tournaments to discuss different viewpoints and perspectives on current events and politics with his peers. Rishaan also writes for the POV, and the occasional Vanguard article. Apart from his humanities, Rishaan is a member of student government and stage crew. Outside of school he enjoys cooking, playing chess, and watching a good movie.

• Sarah Pelmas

  Interim Head of Beaver Country Day School

  Ms. Sarah Pelmas is the Interim Head of Beaver Country Day School and the former Head of Winsor School. She has worked at schools in Boston, Washington DC, and San Francisco. She is the mother of a BB&N 9th grader, as well as a freshman in college, but she promised she wouldn't talk about either one of them at the TEDx event. She and her family live in Brookline, and they spend a lot of their free time in mountains and lakes in New Hampshire and the Adirondacks. Many mornings you can find her rowing on the Charles River with her CRI teammates.

• Siran Arakelian

  Freshman

  Siran Arakelian is a freshman at BB&N, where she is involved in the theater program, EthicsBowl team, and A-capella club. Off campus, Siran enjoys playing the violin, making art, singing, watching and analyzing movies, and spending time with family and friends. Through her talk, Siran hopes to share ideas that encourage others to see success as a personal accomplishment rather than an unreachable pedestal.

• Valor Mcgrath

  Sophomore

  Valor McGrath is a sophomore at BB&N who is committed to both learning and communicating, both in school and in her extracurriculars. At school, she plays varsity volleyball and varsity softball, where she continuously works on her leadership and communication skills. She has also accompanied the chorus, jazz band, and orchestra on the drums in the past, further pushing the bounds of her education past her core academic classes. Outside of school, she continues these passions through club volleyball and playing percussion at a senior wind ensemble, where she loves to connect with friends and strangers alike. In her talk, Valor explores a holistic approach to success through sharing personal experiences and thoughtful examples, all in the context of a math formula!