Fractions of a Second: Embracing the Impact of Every Moment
In this talk, Bryce hopes to convey the importance and value that “fractions of seconds” hold in people’s lives. Bryce is a sophomore at Saint Andrew’s School and has attended since his freshman year. He is Florida-born and Florida-raised. Bryce spends time playing basketball, writing, and exploring, whether it be in a city or the countryside. After an abrupt idea on “fractions of seconds” struck him in class, Bryce decided to articulate himself on the TEDx stage and be a part of the organization.
In this talk, Jorge explores the art of self-discipline and its importance in setting goals and building successful habits. Jorge is a freshman at Saint Andrew's, where he is part of the boarding program. He is originally from Panama City, Panama, and loves spending time with friends back home. In his free time, Jorge loves to read, watch sports, and enjoy all life has to offer with his loved ones. Although public speaking is a great challenge, he is looking forward to honing in on this key life skill with the help of the TED-Ed class.
What Monopoly Shows Us About Our Intuitions
In her talk, Charlotte explores how Monopoly reveals that success often comes from data-driven decisions rather than instinct, challenging the common belief that trusting your gut leads to the best outcomes. Charlotte is a high school freshman with a passion for mathematics, board games, and logical problem-solving. When she's not exploring new strategies in her favorite games, Charlotte can be found golfing, shopping, cooking, playing the guitar, or spending time with friends. Her TED-Ed Talk stems from a childhood memory of playing Monopoly with her brother, where she discovered that the game’s best strategies defy common sense. Through her engaging insights, Charlotte shows how Monopoly reveals broader lessons about decision-making in life, encouraging us to embrace reason, strategy, and thoughtful planning over impulsive choices.
In this talk, Adrian shows a digital version of a trumpet that he created to help musicians rehearse for longer periods of time and give people with disabilities the opportunity to play brass instruments. Adrian is a sophomore at Saint Andrew’s School, which he joined in the second grade after moving from New York City. He is passionate about music, having played the guitar for thirteen years and the trumpet for six. In addition to being a musician, he is also an athlete, playing tennis for the Saint Andrew's Tennis Team. He was excited to give a Ted Talk to share his solution to the universal problem of muscular fatigue that musicians face and the issue of music accessibility for people with disabilities.
In this talk, Josslyn explores the power of choice and how embracing uncertainty, building character, and seeking adventure can shape the story of our lives. She challenges us to view our decisions not as obstacles but as opportunities to craft our own Choose Your Own Adventure. This is Josslyn's first year attending Saint Andrew's School as a senior. She plans to study abroad in Israel next year majoring in business and entrepreneurship. She is originally from Bethesda Maryland. In her free time you can find her on walks, doing hot yoga, or reading a good psychological thriller.
Feast on the Power of Being Alone
In this talk, Mia Song uses a bowl of spaghetti to unravel the fear of being alone---one twirl at a time, challenging the idea that solitude is something to dread. After all, why fear a table for one when it means more pasta for you? Mia is a sophomore at Saint Andrew’s, where she has been attending since freshman year. Growing up in Shanghai, she developed a love for discovering new food, exploring bookstores, and occasionally traveling alone. She has a passion for public speaking in all forms, from competitive debate to poetry. TEDx gave her the chance to share an idea she’s grown to appreciate firsthand: that sometimes, the best moments in life—like the perfect bite of spaghetti—are meant to be savored alone.
In this talk, Alexia challenges the way we perceive limitations, sharing how growing up with unilateral vision and navigating setbacks in her Olympic Journey taught her that seeing differently can turn obstacles into opportunities and redefine success. Alexia is a competitive swimmer from Peru and a senior at Saint Andrew’s School, where she is a Residential Life Student. She has spent the past three years training at the highest level while balancing academics and life away from home. Born with unilateral vision, she has to navigate the challenges of depth perception and limited peripheral sight both in and out of the pool. Outside of the water, she has a deep passion for storytelling and loves music and art, perceiving them as different ways to see everything . She is always looking for new ways to challenge her perspective and understanding of the world. She joined TED-Ed because she believes in the power of ideas to create change and wanted to share her journey of overcoming mental and physical barriers beyond what the eye can see. Through her talk, she hopes to inspire others to rethink how they define success and recognize that sometimes, the biggest obstacles aren’t the ones we can’t see, but the ones we refuse to.
In this talk, Maxx hopes to inspire you to do something unique to reveal your hidden passions by stepping into the present moment and rediscovering the world. Maxx Viciedo is a sophomore at Saint Andrew's School. He enjoys spearfishing, investing, and hanging out with friends. He wanted to give this talk to express his feelings about his past semester without technology, and how it impacted his day-to-day life, hobbies, and education.
Shirley is an 8th grader at Saint Andrew's School and has been a part of the community for one year. Outside of school, you’ll often find her reading or playing squash. In her free time, she enjoys training. She decided to give this talk because she wanted to introduce Buddhism and show the profound impact it had on her life, hoping it would do the same for others.
In this talk, Elle explains the benefits of having a motto, using her own family motto as an example. Elle is a 5th grader at Saint Andrew’s, where she has been attending for four years. Originally from New York, she returns each summer for sleepaway camp. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, shopping, going to the mall, and visiting Disney. While staying motivated has been a challenge, her family motto has helped her push through and gain confidence over the years. Inspired by its impact, she joined TED-Ed to share how her motto has helped her—and how it can help others too.
In this talk, Mercedes explores the surprising similarities between chess and tennis, shedding light on how strategic thinking in one sport can improve performance in the other. Mercedes is a seventh Grader at Saint Andrews, where she has been attending for 1 year. She is originally from Brooklyn New York but moved to Florida 3 years ago. You will usually find her playing tennis, painting, and dancing ballet. She also loves reading whenever she has free time. Mercedes loves traveling to Spain, New York, and Germany during the summer with her family. When she's not on the tennis court after school, she typically spends her time studying online, focusing on languages like German and Spanish. She joined TED-Ed to improve her writing and vocabulary skills. She also wants to inform people on how her passion can relate to something as common as chess.
Peyton is a freshman at Saint Andrew’s School, which she has attended since kindergarten. She was born and raised in Florida. She loves going to the beach, hanging out with friends, cooking, and creating art. She wanted to participate in TEDx to share her love for poetry and improve her public speaking skills.
In this poem, Blair talks about a girl's resilience. Even with all the pressure and criticism that comes with chasing success, she stays true to herself, letting her kindness and authenticity be her greatest strength and reward. Blair is a dedicated 7th grader at Saint Andrew’s, where she’s been learning and growing for nine years. Passionate about singing, songwriting, and poetry, Blair is always chasing new challenges to conquer. Beyond her love for the arts—whether she’s acting, playing guitar, or crafting lyrics—she also shines on the tennis courts and while running. From the stage to the courts, Blair gives her all, constantly pushing herself to be the best and never settling for less than 100%.
In this poem, Julian wrote about a delicacy that he loves, using literary devices to show his passion for both food and poetry.
In this poem, Jordan will explore the intricacies of trying to fit in within her high school community in a new place with new expectations and standards. Jordan is a sophomore at Saint Andrews School, where she has been attending since seventh grade. She grew up in Houston, Texas, and is still getting used to exchanging rodeos for sandcastles! You will usually find her in the theater, where she loves to perform onstage and help manage the backstage. Additionally, she spends what little free time she possesses reading, writing, and playing her guitar, to the annoyance of her two pets. She is beyond grateful for the opportunity to share her poetry with a larger audience than just her dog!
In this poem, Olivia uses the analogy of shoes as she asks her listeners to consider looking, listening, and learning about others in order to seek understanding and truly embrace different perspectives. Olivia’s own shoes tell the story of a freshman in high school who has lived in Palm Beach, Florida her entire life with her parents, older sister, and dog, Hailey. She enjoys going to the beach, hanging out with friends, and skiing. Olivia loves traveling the world with her family, always seeking to understand other cultures, their traditions, and beliefs…and never forgetting to LOOK BOTH WAYS.
In her poem, Stella wants everyone to know that being different can be riskier than being the same as everyone else, but that is okay. Stella is in the third grade and has been at Saint Andrew’s since Kindergarten. She was born in Florida and has lived here ever since. You will usually find her reading fantasy books, watching movies or drawing. After school, she has activities almost every day. She enjoys team and individual sports, such as lacrosse and swimming. Stella would like to spread the word that being unique is what makes you, YOU.