TEDxElmwood School Youth

Speakers

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

• Ali Denison

  Elmwood School Student

  Ali Denison is an enthusiastic Grade 12 student at Elmwood School. Over her four years, she has been on the cross-country, swimming, tennis, volleyball, soccer, and track and field teams. Over the summer, Ali works at a summer camp where she teaches kayaking, canoeing and earth education. Ali loves science and the environment and wants to implement that passion into her future endeavours.

• Claire Hang

  Elmwood School Student

  Culminating her poignant, yet insightful experiences as a children’s hospice volunteer, Claire Hang highlights the power of play, and its neurobiological importance for children in the medical setting. Witnessing the “tranquil, transience of life” while working with life-limited children, her TEDx talk draws on her adept motivation to give quality care, while challenging common stigmas surrounding the palliative care field. Passionate for interdisciplinary scientific exploration and holistic approaches to medical care, Claire is an International Baccalaureate student from Ottawa, Ontario, pursuing leadership roles in girls’ career mentorship, high school healthcare education, environmental activism, and charity initiatives to empower individuals in the local community.

• Raluca Voina

  Elmwood School Student

  Raluca Voina is a Grade 12 student at Elmwood School in Ottawa, Canada. She will be attending the University of Toronto as a Wolf Scholar starting in fall 2026, pursuing her interdisciplinary interests in life sciences, business, and global affairs. In this talk, Raluca addresses the increasing importance of creating knowledge as opposed to consuming it. Going through her journey with learning and finding the nuanced balance between effort and academic revision, she stresses that aiming beyond the core curriculum builds authentic conversation and sparks continuous growth. Raluca’s commentary on knowledge reflects a lifelong, genuine passion for learning.

• Sofia Christow-Filleul

  Elmwood School Alumni

  How do you know if a career is the right fit before you've committed years of your life to it? Pre-dental student and mentorship advocate Sofia Christow-Filleul doesn't think you can find out from the sidelines. Through the story of building a mentorship-driven network that gives students real, hands-on clinical exposure, she reveals why the most meaningful outcome isn't confirming a path, but having the clarity to walk away from one that was never yours.