TEDxSelwyn House School Youth

Speakers

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

• Aria Khiabani

  Associate at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

  Aria Barin Khiabani is a corporate lawyer in Montreal with an interest in education and pedagogy. He obtained his BCL/JD from McGill University.

• Brandon Hao

  Student at Selwyn House School

  Brandon is a student studying at Selwyn House School, where they focus on cultivating students' biological knowledge. Driven by a deep curiosity about neuroscience, he spends his time exploring how using your non-dominant hand affects the activation of your brain. Through their upcoming TEDx talk, Brandon hopes to challenge how we think about neuroscience and inspire others to use their non-dominant hand. When not diving into their studies, they can be found reading or playing sports.

• Connor Wei

  Student at Selwyn House School

  Connor Wei is an eighth-grade student from Selwyn House. He has observed that many people casually accept silence in the face of unfair situations, viewing inaction as normal and harmless. This common phenomenon has inspired him to deeply reflect on how passive silence continuously fuels bullying, inequality, and various social problems in daily life. Through his speech, Connor aims to help young people recognize the serious harm of choosing to stay silent amid injustice. He hopes to encourage his peers to move beyond indifference, bravely speak up against wrongdoing, and take positive action. Ultimately, he aspires to contribute to a kinder, more inclusive, and equal campus and broader society.

• David Kalichman

  Senior School Mathematics Teacher at Selwyn House School

  David Kalichman is a mathematics teacher at Selwyn House School, where he works with students in grades 9–11. He believes that anyone can succeed at math and enjoys helping his students build the confidence they need to thrive. He completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics at the University of Waterloo. His master’s thesis focused on pricing algorithms for online auctions, using tools from combinatorial optimization. Outside of academics and teaching, he spends time on sports, music, games, movies, trivia, and reading.

• Dylan Kalaydjian

  Business Affairs Assistant at Studio TF1 America

  Dylan Kalaydjian is a Selwyn House Old Boy from the Class of 2017. He has always been passionate about the entertainment industry and wanted to pursue it after SHS. He left Montreal for boarding school at Hotchkiss then studied film at NYU for four years. He returned to Montreal after to work on the Apple TV Series “The Last Frontier”, and now works as a Business Affairs Assistant at Studio TF1 America.

• Marco Bai

  Student at Selwyn House School

  Marco Bai is a student, swimmer, and the founder of his school’s Guzheng Club. Through many years of training and competitions, he has faced psychological setbacks that shaped him into a more resilient and reflective person. These moments of doubt lead him to see progress not as a straight path, but as something often built from struggle and self-reflection. In both sports and instruments, he has come to understand that discomfort and feeling small is often a starting point for growth rather than something to avoid. Marco offers a new way of viewing challenges. He hopes to encourage others to approach setbacks with patience and openness, seeing them as part of the process of becoming stronger.

• Mark Watson

  Social Studies Teacher at Selwyn House School

  Mark Watson has been a teacher for 34 years, and a dad for 25, but depression has been a seemingly lifelong companion, so it was only a matter of time before he found community theatre, which he has been involved with for over 20 years.

• Maximilian Baltuch

  Student at Selwyn House School + Video Game Director

  Max Baltuch is a student who is actively pursuing the world of software and engineering. Through the development of several video games, he has developed the tools required to lead a team. Through his work, Max shows the passion that young people have towards the modern video game landscape.

• Mike Downey

  Headmaster at Selwyn House School

  Mike was born in 1966 in Pointe-Claire, Quebec. He earned a B.Sc. in Chemistry from McGill University and a Diploma in Education. In 1990, Mike joined the staff at Selwyn House School, an independent boys’ school in Westmount, Quebec. While at Selwyn, he taught Chemistry and Math, and helped coach the football and hockey teams. Mike was also instrumental in starting an interdisciplinary robotics program. Mike later moved into school administration and currently serves as Headmaster. However, he continues to participate in student life and to coach one of the school’s football teams. At the heart of Mike’s educational philosophy is a commitment to kindness, respect, and character development. He strives to help students become thoughtful, compassionate individuals who will make meaningful contributions to their communities and the world. Mike and his wife live in Westmount. They have two adult daughters, one living in Toronto and the other in Kelowna, as well as an adored grandson.

• Vanessa Jothy

  Elementary School Teacher at Selwyn House School

  Mère de deux adolescents et enseignante à l’école Selwyn House depuis 21 ans, Vanessa Jothy a enrichi sa pédagogie en passant des arts plastiques à la première année. Forte de cette double expertise et de son histoire familiale, elle place la bienveillance au cœur de l'apprentissage. Sa mission est d'offrir aux jeunes un espace sécurisant où l'erreur est célébrée et où chacun apprend à développer sa propre résilience.