TEDxHeritage HS Youth

Speakers

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

• Keerthana Rajasekar

  Student

  Keerthana is a junior at Frisco Heritage High School. She has always aspired to be a professional public speaker, but couldn’t hone her skills alone. That’s why she decided to pursue becoming a TEDx speaker, to learn from and receive feedback from other talented student speakers to strengthen her abilities. Her speech is about the effects of short form video content on our mental health while approaching it from a different angle. Keerthana believes teenagers’ “addiction” to scrolling is a common misconception. She asserts it is a type of adaptation. She wants to alter the common perspective on this matter and bring light to this overlooked view. In her own life, she is an avid professional Bharatanatyam dancer, performing in local events, competing in competitions, and has completed her Arangetram. After high school she plans to pursue further education under the premed track in university.

• Manushri Namburi

  Student

  Manushri is a junior at Frisco Heritage High School. She believes that speech is one of the most powerful methods of conveying ideas and getting through to people. The opportunity to do that is exactly what drew her into TEDx. She believes it’s the perfect chance to connect with individuals in the span of minutes and share meaningful ideas that can create tangible momentum. The topic of Manushri’s speech centers around the struggle of saying “no” - a common but forbidden word in our day to day life. In her own life, Manushri is passionate about connecting with different people, manifesting in many ways. She loves volunteering, especially through scouting. Manushri has a great interest in patient care, collaborating with individuals to help them reach their best self. After high school, she plans to focus on how small health patterns affect populations. Additionally, she wishes to become an OB/GYN - advocating and supporting individuals in need of a shoulder to lean on.

• Paanini Veerubhotla

  Student

  Paanini is a sophomore at Frisco Heritage High School. He became a TEDx speaker to push himself outside his comfort zone and expand on his experience with broadcasting. He wanted to learn how to connect with a live audience and improve his communication in a more real, direct way. Paanini’s speech focuses on psychopathy in society and how labels affect the way we see and treat people. He pursued this topic because it is often misunderstood and mislabeled, but still has a real impact on people and often goes unaddressed. In his own life he is passionate about music, media, and communication. He recently began performing publicly as an accompanist and enjoys working in video and media production. After high school he plans to go to college to expand his knowledge in fields like technology and analysis. He hopes to keep developing his skills in music, media, and communication alongside his education.

• Rhea Jhaveri

  Student

  Rhea is a junior at Frisco Heritage High School. She became a TEDx speaker to pursue her passion of speaking to audiences and loves the platform that TEDx provides. The topic of her speech explores the concept of Opportunity FOMO or struggling to say “no”. She chose this topic because it is something many people struggle with often without even knowing. Rhea hopes that through her speech she can positively impact someone’s life who might face this challenge. In her own life, she is passionate about fine arts which grew through her many years playing the flute, piano, and dancing. She also loves public speaking which brought her to work heavily in activities like Debate, Mock Trial, and Model UN. After high school, she plans to pursue an undergraduate degree in business followed by law school. She aspires to be a corporate lawyer, specifically working in mergers and acquisitions.

• Sean Lim

  Student

  Sean is a junior at Frisco Heritage High School. He became a TEDx speaker to spread his message about autism awareness due to its lack of representation through media, as well as it being a great passion of his. The topic of his speech explores the concept of acceptance for autistic people in our society. His interest began from his many experiences growing up with an autistic younger brother. He feels that these experiences should be publicized in order to fuel society's awareness. In his own life Sean is passionate about animal sciences and biology. Concepts he has been obsessed with since he could read. Additionally, he loves sports, with basketball and football being his favorites. Sean is also passionate about justice and believes that everyone deserves equal opportunities for liberation. After high school he plans on earning a bachelor’s degree in biology before moving to veterinary school and attaining his DVM to become a licensed veterinarian.

• Varun Mathi

  student

  Varun is a freshman at Frisco Heritage High School. He became a TEDx speaker in order to grow as a public speaker and allow himself to project ideas into the world without holding himself back. His speech explores the evolution of modern fitness. He has seen firsthand how the quest for "perfection" is quietly replacing the goal of health. His speech explores how unrealistic body standards, the normalization of performance-enhancing drugs, and constant online comparison are creating a culture where teenagers feel like they are not enough. Varun would like to pull back the curtain on the bitter truth about the fitness industry. In his own life, he is passionate about medical science and medical research. After high school, he plans to pursue a pre-med track with the ultimate goal of becoming a cardiologist.