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).

Jenks High School
205 E B St
Jenks, Oklahoma, 74037
United States

Addi Dodder

I have played basketball my whole life along with constantly being around sports in my home. I have been raised by parents who have encouraged me to talk about my feelings and have made a safe space where it is okay to struggle with mental health.

Alina Siddiqui Alina Siddiqui

My name is Alina Siddiqui and I’m a current junior at Jenks High School. I’m part of Key Club, Pre-Med Society, Math Club, National Honors Society, and the International Scholars Program. Throughout my involvement in various leadership programs, l’ve come to realize that striving for excellence often comes with its fair share of challenges and mistakes. It’s a common misconception that mistakes equate to failure. We tend to feel this way through many inter-relational factors. I will be discussing the importance of unlearning that fear of mistakes and embracing them as opportunities for growth. As Thomas Edison once said “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

Angel Kambiri

High school student passionate in educating others.

Ann Gao

Ann Gao is a Senior at Jenks High School.

Athena Gadiwalla

My name is Athena Gadiwalla and I am a junior at Jenks High School. As an immigrant myself I’ve faced the stigma surrounding immigrants and the immigration process in this country. I chose to bring awareness to this issue through Jenks TedX because I think it is really important to ensure that our youth is educated about what affects people in our own communities, especially if it doesn’t affect them directly.

Cody Brown

My name is Cody Brown and as soon as I entered high school I joined the debate team and it entirely changed my life. Being a part of debate resulted in me interacting with new ideas and cultures, but ultimately led me to question the differences I saw around me, and what made them so different?

Dhea Pushpraj

I’m Dhea Pushpraj, a student from Booker T. Washington High School. So many fun activities fill my life, each shaping who I am. Such as an Indian classical dance, Bharatanatyam, being the captain of the golf team, founding my school's Pre-Med club, practicing martial arts, competing in speech and debate, and volunteering in my community. I hope you enjoy my talk and are able to learn about a topic that is close to me.

Din Dai

Din Dai is a current Senior at Jenks High School who immigrated from Thailand to America when he was very young. He is a part of the Speech & Debate Team, Mock Trial, and Odyssey of the Mind, where he has learned to express himself through oration.

Elisha Dalmeida

I’m involved with many clubs at Jenks High School, but have always been most active and present in theatre and debate. Having done these activities for so long, I’ve come across typecasting issues and issues during rounds that stem from the perceptions those in charge had of me. Which is why I felt so passionately about speaking on the topic of implicit bias.

Esther Chen

Esther Chen, currently a senior at Jenks High School, has lived in Toronto, Shanghai, and now Tulsa, experiences that have shaped her global perspective. Actively involved in Speech and Debate as well as Mock Trial, she has cultivated a deep passion for speech and self-expression. These activities have significantly enriched her ability to articulate ideas and engage with diverse viewpoints.

Harini Senthil

She is a senior at Jenks High School and is involved with the Jenks Speech and Debate team, Chamber Orchestra, and the International Scholars Program. Harini is currently researching how anthropogenic climate change is contributing to the spread of vector borne illnesses like dengue fever in Central America.

Holland Thompson

I am a member of the Jenks debate team as well as Math Club, HOSA, the Case Load Gifted Program, and Drug Free Youth. I have had several personal experiences witnessing drug addictions, which led me to choose my topic. My main concern is how addiction is misrepresented in the media, leading to a false narrative that addiction is a choice.

Isla Walker

My name is Isla Walker and I hail from Tulsa, Oklahoma. I am active on my school’s Mock Trial and Debate team, play in our Chamber Orchestra, and enjoy volunteering with Key Club. In my free time I love watching movies with my family, which includes complaining about all the recent remakes, as well as enjoying the Barbie movie in July. This eventually inspired my talk: Bye Barbie: Commercialized Stereotypes.

Leah Beakey

Leah Beakey is a high school student that enjoys educating others about how Healthcare can have better systems set in place to better help people.

Marissa Williams

Beyond academics, I am a part of the Jenks High School swim team and club team. Additionally, I proudly serve as a representative for Oklahoma swimming athletes. In these aspects I have listened to many athletes who desire help with their mental health, but do not believe there is an adequate resource available to them, especially at school.

Noah Markham

Noah Markham is a senior at Jenks High School.

Olive Meadows

Through acting classes, film classes, short films, musicals, plays, and show choir, I try my hardest to advocate for myself as an actress. To get to this dream career, I've had since I was six, I need as much help as I can get. Our schools are purposed to give students the knowledge they need to have a successful future, and I feel many students, including myself, haven’t yet received enough of this. I’m very proud of my fellow students, as well as this speech, and I will continue to revise and present it, until our curriculum starts to focus more on our futures.

Sahil Patel

I’m an Indian American who often is faced with these expectations. In our culture if certain expectations aren’t followed, it is looked down upon.

Tej Beniwal

Hi, I’m Tej Beniwal, a Junior at Jenks High School. I’m a class officer, part of the orchestra, HOSA, pre-med club, and an avid bird photographer. I am also on the varsity tennis team, and playing tennis throughout the years has taught me many lessons. I’ve found that unlearning certain aspects of my tennis game involves self awareness, focus on fundamentals, adaptability and perseverance.

Valery Gutierrez

I’m Valery Gutierrez, a high schooler at Jenks High School. As the daughter of immigrants, I am very passionate about stigma surrounding immigration l which is why I chose to do my TedX talk Game Over.