Theme: Picture This

Picture This: communicating with someone across the world via electromagnetic waves; humans flying in a machine shaped like a bird as a form of transportation; images of people moving around, projected onto a screen; women having the right to vote; a person walking on the moon. These are all examples of dreams that were once thought to be impossible, but with determination and imagination, they have become reality.

All great ideas and innovations start with a single thought—a dream—and perhaps just a simple one. It is ideas coupled with action that shape the present and make a change. Our TEDx 2020 theme of “Picture This” aims to share the ideas within our community that can change the world for the better.

We live in a world where so much is possible. A schoolgirl can be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, more than $300 million can be raised to combat AIDS, wishes for children diagnosed with critical illnesses can be granted every 34 minutes, and more than $2.1 billion can be raised for juvenile diabetes research. The possibilities are endless.

Picture This: a world that has discovered a cure for cancer; a world with communities that support each other no matter a person’s race, gender, or religion; a world that doesn’t have to worry about starvation or lack of shelter. Picture something, anything, that you’ve wanted for yourself or your community. Now make it your reality. What’s stopping you?

Santa Catalina School
1500 Mark Thomas Drive
Monterey, California, 93940
United States

Amanda Nachman

Motivational Speaker and CEO of College Magazine

Amanda Nachman empowers young professionals as a career fulfillment speaker. She is the author of the soon-to-be-released book #QUALIFIED and is founder and CEO of College Magazine, the trusted guide to college, reaching nine million readers nationwide. She is also host of Find Your Passion Career podcast. Amanda has developed an action-based career strategy by coaching hundreds of college students. Her graduates have gone on to have careers at National Geographic, USA Today, Random House, NBC, Us Weekly, Vox, and more. Through her talk, “You Are More Qualified Than You Realize,” Amanda leads students through a three-step process to unlock their passion and get moving to start their dream career.

Bill Hayward

CEO at Hayward Score, CEO Hayward Lumber

Bill Hayward is the CEO of his family-owned local business, Hayward Lumber. He and his wife, Adriana, are the parents of three students in Santa Catalina Lower and Middle School. In his talk, “The Urgency of Transformation,” Bill tells of his family’s terrible experience of living in a “sick home,” how it adversely affected his family’s health, and how he and his wife have made it their mission through Hayward Healthy Home to help others identify and address health issues to which their living environment may contribute.

John Burton

Artist

John Burton is a film production designer who travels the world researching locations and leads visual editors to develop feature films. Also an oil painter, he is the recipient of numerous awards; his stirring landscapes vividly depict the transitory beauty of our world. Influenced by the early 20th century works of Western and Russian painters, his artwork captures the profound spirituality that the majesty of nature evokes. In his talk, “The Courage to be Creative,” John challenges us to imagine a world in the future in which art is a valued and intrinsic part of the human experience.

Julia Weber

Student

Maj. Julia Weber, USMC, is studying operations research at the Naval Postgraduate School. During her time working in the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, she saw a need to improve the conditions of stray animals. She rallied other foreign diplomats in Pakistan to help the nonprofit organization Islamabad PAWS in 2017. Islamabad PAWS is dedicated to improving the conditions of stray and abandoned dogs. In her heartwarming and inspiring talk, “What Do You See?,” Julia shares her thoughts on being a global citizen, leadership, and seeing and answering the call to lead in innovative ways—even for those with four, furry legs

Kaitlin Criswell

Student, Santa Catalina School

Kaitlin Criswell, a junior day student at Santa Catalina School, is an active member of our community, doing community service by working with local homeless children through the Family Resource Center in Salinas and supporting the work of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The daughter of a Scottish mother and a Japanese-American father, Kaitlin was born and raised in Saudi Arabia. In 2016, Kaitlin and her family moved to the U.S. so Kaitlin could study at Santa Catalina School. In her thought-provoking talk, “The Power to Choose Your Home,” Kaitlin, who now considers herself a Californian, shares her perspective about being a “Third Culture Kid,” and how her notion of “home” has been shaped by her unique background. She encourages others to question what home is for them.