Theme: [Re]defining Reality

How we view and experience the world is often influenced by how the people around us see it. Yet what happens when we begin to question these definitions and arrive at our own?

Join our seven speakers as they explore what it means for 21st Century teens to navigate reality.

Doral Hall Auditorium
2525 NW 112th Ave
6th Floor
Doral, Florida, 33172
United States

Anthony Makhlouf

Public Speaker and Patriot

Anthony Makhlouf is a sophomore at Doral Academy High School and is from Lebanon, a country in the Middle East. He is very passionate about his country, as well as public speaking, law, and debate. He wants to become a lawyer, specifically a defense lawyer in criminal law, and hopes to inspire people to stand up for themselves.

Arquimedes Rivero

Actor and Thinker

Arquimedes Rivero's love for the arts and performance are enduring. A sophomore at Doral Performing Arts and Entertainment Academy, he was previously quite technologically focused, which lessened over time and transformed into a love of the arts and literature. He habitually runs and bikes during his free time, and oftentimes supplants that with creative writing and a little Netflix to top it off.

Isa Gonzalez

Painter and Writer

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Isabella Gonzalez is an 18 year-old senior at Doral Performing Arts and Entertainment Academy. She genuinely enjoys school, and never fails to participate in class. When not preoccupied with clubs, honor societies and academics, she spends most of her free time with friends and family. Her hobbies include reading and writing, as well as painting and playing with her cat.

Karla Sierra

Lover of Life

Karla Sierra is an avid lover of life. She accepts and enjoys analyzing everything that humans have to offer and is often fascinated by linguistics, culture, art, and history. Karla is a member of the Firebird Singers, Parliamentarian of the Future Business Leaders of America, and Treasurer of the History Bowl. She has big aspirations of gaining proficiency in four to six languages, becoming a Foreign Ambassador, and finally learning to swim before life is done!

Marco Curbelo

Art Aficionado

Marco Curbelo is a high school senior who appreciates various forms of art, including television, literature, and painting in his spare time. He especially enjoys the way paintings can accentuate the musculature of the human form. He hopes to later become a physical therapist while still pursuing his passion of art.

MariaVictoria Chacón-Briceño

Activist, Public Speaker & SDA Miami Co-Founder

In MariaVictoria Chacon-Briceno’s sophomore year of high school, she co-founded the first major chapter of Students Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (SDA), a few days after the shooting in Marjory Stoneman Douglas Senior High. These past two years have taught her a lot about American politics and made her more conscious of international affairs. From her efforts with SDA, she has been able to work alongside activists and professionals in programs like the Florida House Page and Messenger, the American Civil Liberties Union’s Summer Advocacy Institute, and Everytown’s Gun Sense University. Maria Victoria hopes to pursue a career where she can promote tolerance and social justice.

Melissa Martinez

STEM-loving Doral Academy Sophomore

Melissa Martinez is a STEM-loving Doral Academy sophomore who wants to give a voice to those who are often unheard. She has a love for volunteering and donates her time through National Honor Society, Leo Club of Coral Way, Science National Honor Society, and Knowledge+. She plans on becoming a doctor because it combines the two things she loves most: science and helping others. In her free time, she enjoys photography and watching movies.