Theme: TEDxYouth@OTHS

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).

Obra D. Tompkins
4400 Falcon Landing Boulevard
Katy, Texas, 77494
United States

Amy Frey

Amy B. Frey has been involved in education for eleven years. A lifelong learner, she has earned a B.A. in English from Sam Houston State University, an M.Ed. in Educational Administration from Lamar University, and an M.Ed. in International Literacy from Sam Houston State University. She teaches AP English Language and Composition at Tompkins High School, and previously taught at Waller High School. She is passionate about competitive academics, and has coached UIL academics for over ten years. Additionally, she works closely with the speech/ debate and Academic Decathlon teams. To her, TEDx is a means of empowering young voices and persuading people to live their lives in a way that serves to the betterment of society. ​

Isabella Fons

Isabella Fons is a junior at Tompkins High School and has been a passionate member of her schools cross country and track teams for the past 3 years. She also has a popular, self-titled youtube channel -where she creates content concerning healthy eating and lifestyle - that has grown to nearly 20,000 subscribers. Whether toeing the line at a big race or working hard to create new stories and videos for her following, Isabella has learned that with some faith, perseverance, and fun that you can truly accomplish whatever you want to. (Like giving a TEDx talk, which has been a goal of hers since middle school!)

Jeff Cherry

Jeff Cherry is the Social Studies Department Chair at Tompkins High School. He started school in 1964 and is yet to graduate. Despite his obvious academic issues, he loves teaching young people. He is married to his college sweetheart and has an awesome daughter and a super son, and two beautiful grandchildren he wished he would have had first. He loves to travel and will be visiting his 5th continent this summer on a visit to Colombia. ​

Lucy Chen

Lucy Chen is a senior at Obra D. Tompkins High School. She is very passionate about creating art and using it to give back to her community. To date, her paintings have fund-raised almost $1.9 million through the Houston Rodeo School Art Program. Lucy's favorite academic subjects are math and physics, which she pursues outside of class by serving as the Vice President of Mu Alpha Theta and Co-President of Science Olympiad. She intends to major in computer science, which will allow her to combine her passions for art and STEM. By speaking at TEDxYouth@OTHS, Lucy hopes to share her journey as an artist, her experience as a leader at Tompkins and her ideas

Rohit Kamath

Rohit Kamath is a junior at OTHS with a deep passion for giving back to the community and has routinely completed numerous service projects locally and internationally. He also founded the Tompkins Helping Hands Club to provide an avenue for like-minded students at OTHS to contribute to the betterment of the community. Rohit has diverse interests ranging from psychology to business to biology. He pursues his interests through his psychology research project under the guidance of professors at Rice University, through competing in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) competitions at local, state and national levels, and by being involved in the OTHS Science Olympiad team. An established leader, Rohit serves as an officer in numerous organizations such as FBLA, SNHS, and Helping Hands Club. Because of his successes in his school and the community, he was awarded the Obra D. Tompkins Student of the Year award during his sophomore year. Rohit is excited about TEDxYouth@OTHS and envisions this unique event as an opportunity to share information about the legacy he has established at Tompkins High School and also to enable future generations to reach their potential. ​

Viraaj Punia

Viraaj Punia is a junior at Tompkins High School and a speaker on the distinguished student panel. He served as the Class of 2018 President in his sophomore year and as Class Officer in his freshmen year. Now, he is a passionate member of the Future Business Leaders of America organization, in which he competed at the National Leadership Conference in 2015. Additionally, Punia is the current Co-President of the Tompkins Science Olympiad team. As a seasoned competitor who has participated since 6th grade, he has medalled numerous times at the invitational, regional, and state level. He hopes to eventually become a neurologist, and stimulates his scientific knowledge through Science Olympiad. Besides academics, Punia is an avid guitar player and loves to unwind with a nice strumming session. Also, as a way to serve the community and help the impoverished, Punia recently co-founded the Tompkins Helping Hands Club. Through his influence as an officer, he hopes to involve other students and eventually fund the construction of a school in a third world country. For him, TEDxYouth@OTHS represents an opportunity to expand his horizons by speaking in front of a large audience and interacting with a unique crowd. As a speaker, Punia is eager to discover untapped facets of his personality while learning more about the footprints we leave on our world. ​

Weston Elkins

​A Houston native, Weston Elkins has been involved with the speech & debate community for thirteen years as a competitor, judge, and coach. Weston has spent time studying or working in Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth, Philadelphia, Closter, and Seoul. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and a M.S. in Higher Education. In his current role as the speech & debate coach at Tompkins High School, Weston has espoused the values of self-respect, integrity, honesty, and accountability to each of his students. In the four years since Tompkins opened its doors, its speech and debate team has grown to be one of the most competitive programs in the state with numerous state and national qualifiers. Next year, Weston will be moving to the Boston area to coach speech & debate at the prestigious Milton, Academy.