Theme: RebooTED

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Watchung Hills Regional High School
108 Stirling Road
Warren, New Jersey, 07059
United States

Johannes Wellerding

Student

Johannes Wellerding is a senior at WHRHS. An aspiring engineer, he plans to pursue Biomedical Engineering and intends to continue both advocacy work and creating custom Transformers. The COVID-19 pandemic served as a motivation for using Johannes’ skills and resources to produce much-needed personal protective equipment and donate over 10,000 pieces to national hospitals, health centers, government facilities, school districts, and community merchants. Johannes’ advocacy work has been shared internationally and is utilized by school districts and mental health professionals across the nation. That acclaim has garnered him various invitations to serve as a guest speaker on disability-centered topics, including an expert panel discussion at Rutgers University. With a focus on the fallacy of misappropriating diagnostic terminology, Johannes’ talk, “Different Vs. Divergent,” will help students, teachers, and community members "Reboot" the language and attitudes surrounding neurodivergence.

Kaylin Davis

Student

Kaylin Davis was born in Newark, but spent most of her life in Greenbrook, NJ. She is the President of her school's Black Student Union, and talking about the racial divide within her school is very important to her. She enjoys spending time with friends, babysitting, teaching swimming lessons, and reading. She is a senior at Watchung Hills Regional High school, and will be attending Hampton University next fall to study Strategic Communications.

Michele Lettington

Teacher

Michele Lettington has been teaching in the Social Studies Department at Watchung Hills for twenty-five years. She grew up in Madison, NJ, and graduated from Drew University before spending a year living abroad in England. While in England, Michele realized her passion for teaching and returned to the states to attend Columbia University's Teachers College, where she earned her Masters' Degree and Teacher Certification. Since beginning her career in 1997, she has enjoyed every minute of teaching and coaching at Watchung Hills, and she is inspired every day by the passions and enthusiasm of her students. In September 2021 she was named the Fred Cotterell Social Studies Educator of the Year by the New Jersey Council for the Social Studies. The one thing she is most proud of as a teacher is the implementation of the course, Social Justice, which has provided her students with a voice and a means to make a difference. It was this class that inspired her talk, "Don't Wait".

Samantha Ross

Student

Samantha Ross is a senior at Watchung Hills Regional High School. She was the previous Public Relations Representative and the current Co-Vice President of Active Minds. She has a history of struggling with mental health, which is what motivated her talk. She speaks about the importance of destigmatizing mental health and she challenges students to "reboot" their thinking. Samantha hopes she can inspire the audience to be more conscientious and aware of this prevalent issue.

Savannah Bellovin

Student

Savannah Bellovin is currently a senior at Watchung Hills Regional High School in Warren, NJ. She has a passion for social justice and activism. As co-president of her high school's GSA and secretary of Thespian Honors Society, she loves to work with the NJ State Theater and WHRHS to bring about positive change in the LGBTQ+ and arts community. In her TedX Talk, Savannah decided to discuss misconceptions about autism in people assigned female at birth. She dismantles autism stereotypes by explaining the root of bias and the harmful effect of those misconceptions. She hopes to inspire the audience to diverge from closed mindedness and educate them in order to create a more accepting environment for autistic people.

Sofia Minervini

Student

Sofia is a senior at Watchung Hills Regional High School. Throughout her time as a student, she has participated in field hockey, lacrosse, and fencing. When she's not at school, she is an EMT at the Warren Rescue Squad. In her talk, “[name tbd]” she will be talking about the process of accepting one’s sexuality, and relating it to the five stages of grief.