Myron Benn

Fashion plays a large role in our personal life, as well as the economy, and it’s supposed to make us feel good, but the industry doesn’t always leave us feeling good due to resulting air and water pollution, as well as often ignoring worker’s rights.

But some brands have decided to change their practices and become more sustainable. Most importantly, each of us has the power to change how our clothes are made by paying attention to where and how our clothes are produced.

Myron is a Senior at School of Creative and Performing Arts

Emily Bobryk-Ozaki

Gen Z teenagers often feel that they need to do everything as they prepare for their future – always doing, going, getting, and having. As a result, Gen Z’s mental wellness is being challenged.

Teens are so focused on the outside that they forget to focus on themselves too. In her view, Gen Z teenagers need to realize that it’s okay to be still, to take breaks, mental health naps, and most importantly, to just be.

Emily is a Sophomore at School of Creative and Performing Arts

Rosalie Stovell

As a high school senior Rosalie felt pressured to figure out what she wanted to do – what to major in and what career to pursue – but she was interested in so many different things. At one point she asked herself, “How can I know myself if I don’t even know what it is I want to do?”

But she came to realize that it’s okay to not know what you want to do, as long as you know who you truly are.

Rosalie is a Senior at Lincoln High School

Huda Ahmed

While growing up African American, female and Muslim often resulted in judgement, discrimination and exclusion, Huda has found strength, unity and empowerment in these three traits, and overcame preconceived ideas based on how she dresses, her ethnicity, or her gender.

She also believes that we can change what holds us back and morph it into something that we can thrive from, making us stronger and more powerful individuals.

Huda is a Senior at Crawford High School

Luis Ramirez

When two people with completely different backgrounds, cultures, or native country get together and solve a problem, they each bring their own unique ideas and perspectives.

He believes that if obstacles such as a lack of income, student mentorship, and educational programs can be overcome, we could achieve greater ethnic diversity in science, which would result in a change in the social narrative.

Luis is a Senior at Hoover High School

Ava Marie Bunn

Typecast as the perfect, well-rounded American teen, Ava Marie Bunn added shock-value to the mix and adopted the acronym BALLS (Believe, Achieve, Listen, Learn, Support) to pursue her big dream of a career in comedy.

Her advice is to stop developing a Plan B as it’s putting energy in the wrong direction. Rather than having something to fall back on, fail forward and pursue your big dream.

Ava is a Senior at Point Loma High School

Seham Nuur

Seham shares her belief that we are not judged for what has happened to us, but what we decide to become, and that we should put our differences aside and work to help those who came here escaping poverty and violence and simply want to build a better future.

Be that one person who makes a change in an immigrant’s life, an act that has the power to change all immigrants and benefit society as a whole.

Seham is a Junior at Crawford High School

Stephanie Lee

Shouldn’t all kids enjoy a safe and happy childhood, develop their identity in a positive way, and not have to reject a part of themselves just to avoid assault? How do we stop bullying that leads to humiliation, desperation, even taking your own life?

It’s up to each of us to create a new reality that does not include bullying. The problem starts and ends with us, and it’s time that it ends.

Stephanie is a Sophomore at Mt. Everest Academy

Keilly Santos

Embracing the beauty of diversity in STEM education

It is our responsibility to develop the next generation of well-rounded leaders, and one of the best ways to do that is by embracing diversity, especially in STEM education. By being inclusive we allow everyone to contribute their creativity, their ideas, and their experiences.

Keilly is a Senior at Hoover High School

Christian Yoon

Raise your hand and say yes to all that life has to offer

By saying no to new opportunities we’re giving up the valuable experiences that those opportunities will open up. Saying no to best friends, jobs, and memories that will last a lifetime, and in doing so, limiting our real potential. Simply by raising our hand we welcome all that life has to offer.

Christian is a Sophomore at Scripps Ranch High School

Athena Amanatidis

SAT scores limits student opportunity, college diversity

Many high school students struggle with tests. They may have high GPAs but end up with lower than hoped for SAT scores, which limits their ability to get into a college of their choice. But if more universities became test optional, this would allow such students to be accepted into a wider range of colleges, and would also result in more diverse college campuses.

Athena Amanatidis is a Junior at Scripps Ranch High School

Hoover High Drumline

The Hoover High School Drumline includes students from San Diego’s City Heights community. They practice and perform as part of the iMin program. This performance is a combination of cadences specially prepared for TEDxYouth@SanDiego based on the theme Trajectory, and in honor of the opportunity to perform.

Scripps Ranch High School Falcon Playhouse

Actors from the Scripps Ranch High School Falcon Playhouse perform two songs from the 1934 musical Anything Goes – It’s De-Lovely and Blow, Gabriel, Blow, music and lyrics by Cole Porter – which takes place onboard the ocean liner S. S. American as it sales from New York to London.

Mission Bay Preservationists

As one of America’s premier traditional youth jazz bands, the Mission Bay Preservationists perform early New Orleans jazz, blues, and swing. At TEDxYouth@SanDiego the 12 piece jazz ensemble played Basin Street Blues, by Louis Armstrong, and When My Dreamboat Comes Home, by Fats Domino.

TEDxYouth@SanDiego 2019

David Higareda & Jesus Villegas of The David’s Harp Foundation BizPod for capturing a bit of the magic that over 500 students experienced at TEDxYouth@SanDiego 2019.

The David’s Harp BizPod (Business Pod) is a creative content business incubator for transitional aged youth (ages 18 to 24). Students learn and apply entrepreneurial business skills as they produce professional-grade content for partnering program clients such as Sony, San Diego Symphony, SD Rotary Club, etc. under the tutelage their artist mentors.