[email protected] - Middle School students from The Post Oak School explain their idea for an innovative Manager Program.

[email protected] - Ruchit Nagar is a senior at the Kinkaid School. Ever since his freshmen year, he has had a passion for both debate and science research. Currently, as a senior researcher and Vice President of the Debate Club, Ruchit is especially interested in how scientific issues shape public policy. Today Ruchit will be giving a talk on the future of nuclear weapons, nuclear energy, and space research. He explains his talk as follows: "I think much of mainstream discussion on important issues, such as that of the nuclear weapons debate, is limited. It is limited by political agendas and a demand for realism. However, if our generation and our species is to continue evolving, we must engage in transcendental thinking.

[email protected] - Meryl Gibbs, 17, is a junior attending St. John’s School. She plays Varsity and Club Volleyball and is on the Varsity Track and Field team. Meryl participates in Maverick “Mav” TV, the Microfinance Club and she founded the Independent Music and Cinema Club at St. John’s. She enjoys writing and was awarded a National Scholastic Writing Award and several Regional Writing Awards. Meryl is also a working model and actress, having appeared in independent films, TV commercials, print ads and on billboards, and on stage.

[email protected] - Judson Dunaway-Barlow is a freshman at the Kinkaid School. He has always loved to debate and especially loves being the devil's advocate and arguing against common perceptions or beliefs.

[email protected] - Hugh Zabriskie is in 11th grade at EHS. A member of the EHS Orchestra, Jazz Band, and Praise Band, Hugh has been playing the piano for 6 years. Recently Hugh was accepted into the TPSMEA All-State and ATSSB All-State Jazz Bands. Along with classical, jazz, rock, and musical theatre, Hugh has begun to compose his own musical compositions, including the samba piece you will hear today. Along with music, Hugh also enjoys swimming and Frisbee. Academically, he is interested in economics, political philosophy, or theology.

[email protected] - Elber Reyes recently began training in mixed martial arts and was a bit intimidated as the only sixteen-year-old in a room full of adults. He enjoyed training in Jiu-Jitsu for six months prior to this experience. But he says, “I’m a student first and foremost.” He currently attends The Chinquapin School as a senior. He believes that being a part of a close community such as the one at Elite MMA is something that has helped him perform better academically.

[email protected] - Chassidy Smith, a senior at The Chinquapin School, loves to dance and has been seriously involved with dance in one way or another since her freshman year of high school. She has never really had a formal lesson, but says, "That doesn't and never will stop me from doing what I love." She explains her talk this way: "I want to ignite the same passion I have for dance in my peers, in whatever it is that they are good at. It doesn't have to be dancing. I want to provide encouragement and inspiration through my creative outlet for them to pursue one of their own."

[email protected] - Caroline Spears is in 10th grade at St John's. She loves learning about current events and the environment, and is very interested in the ways humans relate to and change their surroundings. The recent Gulf Oil Spill made her think about America's dependence on fossil fuels, and how that might affect the everyday lives of people living all over the world. The topic of her speech today will be Oil and Security: how our oil addiction affects homeland security, the Middle East, and education.

[email protected] - Ann Meek is a senior at Episcopal High School and has a passion for writing. She is planning to major in Computer Engineering and minor in creative writing in college. She has been fortunate to be chosen as a finalist in essay writing and poetry contests and in contests involving women in engineering. Ann enjoys learning and tries to take advantage of all the opportunities provided to her each day. She believes that a positive attitude with the willingness to explore and grow can enable her to make a difference each day. One of her goals is to spread the idea that one can choose to be happy. By choosing happiness we can all create a world with better relationships, more productivity, and greater fulfillment.

TEDxYouth@Metroplex - The Oakridge School junior Hersh Trivedi talks about his research in epigenetics. Hersh is interested in pursuing a medical career. He spent part of this summer interning at Johns Hopkins.