Theme: BELIEVE

Welcome to TEDxValenciaHighSchool - BELIEVE!

Why “BELIEVE”?

Because WE BELIEVE! We believe in our students, our staff, and our community and have pulled together to bring together some amazing ideas worth spreading.

We were originally licensed to put this event on in March of 2020, however, due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control, we entered into the COVID-19 lockdowns, and the idea of doing a theatrical performance at school, let alone even just attending classes, became a far-fetched dream. Our students continued to try to make the event happen, but there was just no way to make it happen…until NOW! We’re back! And thanks to a generous grant from the Placentia Chamber of Commerce to help upgrade our set, TEDxValenciaHighSchool is back and better than ever!

At Valencia High School, we believe learners are individuals who bring a unique set of needs and abilities to the classroom and that they should be encouraged to become responsible for their own learning, especially as they mature.

We believe it is important to recognize and embrace the diversity that arises, as it provides a myriad of opportunities to enhance student learning and growth.

We believe in the worth and value of every student and every human being on our campus. In this way, we believe that our students will inevitably make the world a better place.

The speakers you are going to hear from are Valencia High School students who used the word “BELIEVE” as a thematic jumping-off point for creating a TEDx Talk and really took the theme to heart when crafting their talks and approaching this task. You will hear talks that range from air ambulances to the joy of menstruation, from horoscopes to softball, and the cultural holistic medicinal ideas, crafted by speakers who have worked tirelessly to create an experience for you to BELIEVE!

While we sometimes wondered if this event was ever going to happen, motivated by the theme of the event, we just kept on believing that if we worked together, kept moving forward, and to work individually to create meaningful and educational TEDx Talks that will hopefully enlighten, amuse, and most of all make you think.

Welcome to TEDxValencia High School 2022 - BELIEVE!

500 Bradford Avenue
Placentia, California, 92870
United States

Aaron Chew

Speaker (High School Student)

Aaron Chew is a Senior at Valencia High School in the International Baccalaureate Program. He is a tech-savvy netizen, who enjoys exploring technology and the various applications it has on our world. He is passionate about the transformative power that technology has over all our lives. Aside from programming, Aaron also enjoys public policy and philosophy, understanding the inner workings of society and life. Outside of school, Aaron is involved in programming competitions, public forum debate, scientific research, and computer software development. This year, he is returning to the TedX program to make a speech about memes--something that Aaron dedicates much of his time to browsing, creating, and enjoying.

Alicia Ma

Speaker (High School Student)

Alicia Ma is a sophomore currently enrolled in the International Baccalaureate and ValTech program at Valencia High school. She pursues her interest in science by competing in Science Olympiad and also coaching her former middle school’s Science Olympiad team. Outside of school, she has always had a love for art and music and has played piano for nearly a decade. She continues her passion for art by trying to find time in her busy high school schedule to draw and participate in art competitions. During the pandemic, she has also explored her interests in business through participating in FBLA, where she medalled at the state competition. Alicia also loves to volunteer at a local children's museum and is an active member of Key Club.

Daeun Lee

Speaker (High School Student)

Daeuni Lee is a sophomore enrolled in both the IB and Val Tech programs at Valencia. Along with TEDx, she is also an avid member of her school’s FBLA, Academic Decathlon, and Mock Trial teams. Outside of school, Daeuni enjoys writing short stories and has won several awards in the past in the humor category. She is also a proud fan of Studio Ghibli and Broadway and hopes to one day travel to New York. Although she does not participate in sports at Valencia, she has been skiing since she was four and enjoys driving up to Mammoth Mountain with her family. In the future, Daeuni plans to pursue a career in marketing or public relations and is currently the communications director on the National Secretary’s Executive Council for FBLA.

Eileen Kwon

Speaker (High School Student)

Eileen Kwon is a sixteen years old junior at Valencia High School, involved in the International Baccalaureate and ValTech Program. She is a part of Valencia High School’s Varsity tennis team and enjoys exercising during her free time. She takes on leadership roles through ASB and Girl Scouts and loves forming new friendships around campus. She is the president of Hope of Young leaders and founder of Helping Hands for Future leaders, outside clubs to make an impact on the community through small acts of service. She aims to help her community in any way possible through food drives to baking treats for families going through tough times. She regularly enjoys listening to music and playing tennis with her friends. Eileen is thankful for the opportunity to speak at TEDx and talk about the psychology behind horoscopes.

Jacqueline Duong

Speaker, VHS Alumnus, Tiger of the Year 2021, UCLA Student

Jacqueline Duong is a freshman at the University of California, Los Angeles and an alumni at Valencia High School. She has always enjoyed public speaking as a former competitor in High School Speech and Debate, and loves to use her voice to sing at church, tutor students, and share her ideas. At UCLA, she is a part of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Bruin Space organizations, as well as an intern for the Fishbowl Challenge–all organizations that enable her to pursue her passion for innovation, aerospace, engineering, and social entrepreneurship. Jacqueline is confident that her ability to speak has made a significant impact on the person she is and will become, and she dreams that one day, she will be able to use her voice on a larger scale and potentially have an impact on this world (and other worlds that we discover in space!).

Joshua Hockman

Speaker & Assistant Director/Assistant Coordinator of this TEDxValenciaHighSchool 2022 - BELIEVE

As an “aviation nut” who discovered an interest in medicine in middle school, learning helicopters were used in emergency medicine excited Joshua and became a rabbit hole he dived into. Wanting to know more, Joshua recently had the honor of interviewing Dr. Michael Abernethy, who many consider the nation's expert in this niche field. Joshua's 5 years of participation in the Science Olympiad contrast his love for musical theater. In 11 shows over many summers, the "theater kid" in him emerged! Joshua is the founder of Pressing Issues Publications & Service (www.pipsclub.org), an organization publishing monthly teens' well-being newsletters with its own branch of community service. Looking forward, Joshua aims to pursue an MD/PhD and hope to make an impactful contribution through medical research. A fun fact is that Joshua is a part of the 5% of teens who do not have a cell phone. Joshua is not only a speaker, but acted as Assistant Director/Coordinator for this event.

Lucy Ann Enomoto

Speaker (High School Student) & Athlete

Lucy Ann Enomoto is a freshman at Valencia High School, & she is enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program. Lucy Ann enjoys her English and European History classes, as well as all her subjects. Lucy Ann is on Valencia High School’s Varsity softball team, and she has also represented the school in its mock trial competitions as an attorney. She also serves on the newly formed PYLUSD Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee where she strives to provide equal opportunities for all students within the district. Since 7th grade, Lucy Ann has volunteered for over 250 hours through the National Charity League’s Yorba Linda Chapter. She is also an accomplished pianist and is competing at Certificate of Merit: Level 8. In 2020, she was invited to compete in the convention, and she is working towards being invited again. On the weekends, Lucy Ann spends her time studying/competing with travel softball (Firecrackers Medina Schneider OC). Lucy Ann is also an avid LA Dodger fan.

Natasha Canedo

Speaker (High School Student)

Natasha Cañedo is a senior at VHS. She is a 4-year varsity softball player, & was recognized as Rookie of the Year & Softball Tiger of the Year for her leadership and commitment to the program. Natasha actively seeks opportunities to challenge herself, and expand her interests, like joining the girls golf team with minimal experience. She overcame her lack of experience by working hard and learning from her teammates and coaches. An entrepreneur at heart, Natasha used her creativity & self-taught skills to start a small business baking cakes/cupcakes for family and friends. TEDx, has been a lifelong dream of Natasha’s & she hopes to use this experience by continuing to hone her communication skills & pursue her future educational/professional goals.

Nina Kini

Speaker (High School Student)

Nina Kini is a junior at Valencia High School currently enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Program & Valencia Technology Academy. Nina is involved in Science Olympiad (both coaching & competing), Teens for Teen Health national online newspaper, & STEAMing Time (a nonprofit organization dedicated to exposing young students to the world of Science & Technology. Nina’s main interests lie in Computers & all things Science-related. She also thoroughly enjoys being part of Valencia High School's Link Crew to help new incoming 9th grade students get acclimatized to the high school environment. An avid pursuer of knowledge outside of school boundaries, Nina has taken community college courses in Computer Science Languages/Information Systems, Human Anatomy & Physiology, & Statistics/Probability. Nina serves as an active member of the Teen Advisory Board for the Yorba Linda & Placentia Public libraries. For fun, Nina enjoys playing basketball & fixing broken items around her house.

Rushin Sanghavi

Speaker (High School Student)

Rushin Sanghavi is a senior enrolled in Val Tech programs at Valencia High School. Rushin has always enjoyed nature, independent sports, and talking which translates to his passion for golf and public speaking. He has been on the Valencia Golf Team for four years and has won many first places in independently hosted tournaments. Additionally, he is the President of Operation Smile Club for three years which strives to create smiles on kids who have been born with a cleft lip and palate. Outside of school, Rushin has participated in many different regional and state Science Olympiad Competitions and coached many winning Science Olympiad Teams at Kraemer Middle School. Through his leadership experiences, he has strengthened his values of determination and confidence which are essential for suppressing stress. In his free time, Rushin enjoys thrill-seeking adventures whether it be jet skiing in Hawaiian waters, parasailing in Mexico, or hiking the tallest Hawaiian mountains.

Samantha Cho

Speaker (High School Student)

Samantha Cho, sixteen years old, is a junior at Valencia High School currently partaking in the International Baccalaureate and ValTech Program. Juggling being the leader of a hospitality team at her church and a Sunday school teacher for toddlers, Samantha enjoys creating warm relationships with those around her. Her future interests lie within optometry, and she interns for an optometry office when she is not occupied with her job. Her achievements are composed of Presidential Awards and strive to help those in her community whether through serving at food pantries or volunteering at church-wide events. Outside of school, Samantha enjoys reading novels as well as practicing her instruments which consists of the bass guitar, piano, and cello. Samantha is grateful and appreciative of the opportunity to speak in front of an esteemed audience on her talk about how memories can affect one’s character.

Skylar Lee

Speaker (High School Student)

Skylar Lee is currently a junior enrolled in the Val Tech program at Valencia High School. She is a member of the school’s varsity basketball team and is president of her club IMPACT. Skylar studied in Korea for an international program over the summer. She volunteered as a TA at the Korea Institution of Southern California in Diamond Bar for a few years. She has a passion for psychology and hopes to pursue a career in the field. In her free time you can find her listening to R&B, studying language, or shopping.

Tanya Vidhun

Speaker (High School Student) & Activist (Girl Up!)

Tanya Vidhun is a sophomore in the International Baccalaureate & Val Tech programs at Valencia High School. Tanya has gained more confidence in developing her voice and opinions over recent years. As an aspiring leader in her community, she co-founded a Girl Up club, empowering girls to advocate for gender equality & organizing community service events at school. An active member of the Varsity Tennis team, Tanya finds playing tennis to be a great way to de-stress from her busy schedule. Additionally, she plays violin in the VHS Orchestra. While competitive in academics, in her free time, Tanya enjoys writing calligraphy, watching her favorite Disney shows, & traveling the world to explore different cultures with her family. Through her involvement in Science Olympiad & research programs, she gets to pursue her passion in STEM, (specifically biology & its intersection with computer science) and hopes to pursue a career in medicine in the future, in order to help others.

Vivian Wang

Speaker, VHS Alumnus, Philanthropist (Linens N Love), & Stanford University Student

Vivian Wang is a freshman at Stanford University and class of 2021 International Baccalaureate diploma graduate from Valencia High School. At Stanford, she plans on studying computer science, communications, Spanish, and Chinese and strives to bridge the gender gap in technology. In college, Vivian has been involved in The Stanford Daily, CS for Social Good, Stanford Women in Business, and the Taiwanese Cultural Society. Seven years ago, Vivian co-founded Linens N Love, a youth-powered nonprofit that collects gently-used hotel linens and repurposes them to shelters and charities in need. As a journalist by day and computer scientist by night, she views storytelling as a way to bring communities together and raise awareness of social issues. Vivian’s work has been recognized by PEOPLE Magazine, Forbes, The Kelly Clarkson Show, PBS, and more (website linked).

Xavier Nunez-Sundara

Speaker (High School Student)

Xavier Nunez-Sundara is currently a senior enrolled in Valencia’s International Baccalaureate program. He ran for the Valencia Cross Country Team and has proceeded to run for the Track and Field team as a distance runner. When not working on schoolwork or running with his team, Xavier spends his free time reading a book, watching videos on the internet, or writing short fiction. While he often seems impatient with his friends, Xavier recognizes that, when people are in between a rock and a hard place, they need a level head that is willing to listen to them, and he is more than willing to be that level head.