In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Saint Francis High School
1885 Miramonte Avenue
Mountain View, California, 94040
United States

Atharv Joshi

Student

Atharv Joshi is a junior at Saint Francis High School. Inspired by his dad who works at a fintech company, he developed a passion for exploring the intersection between technology and finance. In his free time, he plays sports with his brother, goes on bike rides, and works on his coding projects. After taking a course on economics as a freshman, Atharv recognized how little kids his age knew about money and the economy, and he decided to publish a mobile app to tackle this problem. He hopes to raise awareness about the lack of financial literacy, suggest solutions, and inspire positive change.

Elle Najarian

Student

Elle Najarian is a junior at Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, California. In her free time, she enjoys playing beach volleyball and attending concerts or music festivals. At school, she is a member of the girls varsity water polo team as well as a member of the girls swim team. She also is the founder and student leader of the Middle Eastern Student Union affinity group where she has been able to use her passion for leadership in bringing the club to life. With an outgoing and extroverted spirit, Elle has found joy in connecting with people and has developed the desire to learn psychology and the study of human minds. Her academic fondness is in parallel to these experiences as she is heavily interested in neuroscience. Combining both her experiences of sleep throughout her life and the psychology behind it, Elle hopes to influence those around her by assisting others in garnering the wisdom on how to sufficiently get a good night’s rest.

Grace Coyle

Student

Grace Coyle is a junior at St.Francis High School in Mountain View, California. She enjoys the outdoors, surfing, basketball, and being surrounded by the people she loves. Grace thrives off of her outgoingness and extroversion and loves exploring new places and experiencing new things.

Mason Young

Student

Mason Young is a sophomore at Saint Francis High School. Over the past few years, he has been honing his craft and publishing short fiction in literary journals under the pen name Mason Koa. His journey, however, has been fraught with rejection after rejection in a publishing scene that is almost completely adult, leading him to reexamine his role as a youth writer. He hopes that sharing his story inspires his audience to pursue their passions in a new way, a way that moves their aspirations from a world of magic into one of reality.

Miguel Malicse

Student

Miguel Malicse is a sophomore at Saint Francis High School. He absolutely loves the sport of wrestling. After going to a wrestling camp at Saint Francis, he is inspired to share his newfound understanding of the yin yang symbol. He recalls Coach Fil’s words on how you need to “love your opponent." This wrestling camp he went to over the summer caused a paradigm shift in his world, and changed his view overall. In his free time, he loves mixed martial arts, spending time with friends and family, wrestling with his team, and playing video games with friends. Miguel hopes to share his viewpoint to the world and inspire others to find the good in the bad and bad in the good.

Valerie Wong

Student

Valerie Wong is a senior at St. Francis High School in Mountain View, California. As a child, she fell in love with the art of origami, learning to fold cranes and stars. Now, she’s especially interested in the amazing innovative possibilities of the field, from engineering to architecture. Valerie wants to major in environmental engineering, and enjoys volunteering and going on hikes in her free time. Through her talk, she hopes to inspire others to pursue interdisciplinary applications of their passions, helping them succeed in any field.

Vishnu Potharaju

Student

Vishnu Potharaju is a senior at Saint Francis High School. At school, he is an editor for the school newspaper, a CSF peer tutor, and captain of the speech and debate team. His time in debate inspired a passion for politics and advocacy, which he hopes to pursue after high school as well. Outside of school, he enjoys listening to music, watching movies, and spending time with his friends and family. He loves trying new things, from food to music to meeting new people.