Theme: What's Next?

There is always a next.

Next step. Next decision. Next move. Next big thing. Next day. Next word. Next trend. Next time. Next thought. Next life. Next hurt. Next chapter. Next you. Next love. Next door.

There is always a next.

And, the overwhelming idea isn’t that our nexts are numbered; it’s that they aren’t. They could, and often do, go on forever.

So, to ensure that we grasp the enormity and wonder of our futures, we ask, “What’s next?”

Marcus 9th Grade Campus
5707A Morriss Rd.
Flower Mound, Texas, 75028
United States

Adriana Pueskens

Maintaining the HUMAN in a Tech-Rich HUMANity

Adriana Pueskens is a freshman at Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas. She is fifteen years old and eager to learn and explore. She is on the Marcus swim team, sings with the school choir, and generally keeps herself busy with many clubs and activities throughout school. Adriana loves to express herself through socializing and performing and is very excited for the opportunity to present her idea at TEDxMarcusHighSchool.

Archana Murthy

An End to Procrastination

Archana Murthy is a student of Marcus High School but also of life. She learns Indian classical music and dance but loves any and all art. She believes that art, science, and spirituality are often interchangeable. This is her first TEDx talk.

Bailey Heard

Finding Courage in Unlikely Places

When Bailey Heard’s husband had stage 4 cancer at 29 years old, he worried that his toddler Ellie wouldn’t remember him. Bailey and her husband wrote and illustrated a book, which was his love letter to their daughter. After her husband’s death, Bailey turned her pain into passion, speaking her message of having courage through calamity. Sharing her husband’s legacy with other children, the book they wrote together, The Ellie Project, has now inspired families worldwide on how to maintain faith and courage through life’s obstacles. Balancing speaking and being a full time single mom, Bailey lives in Dallas, where the new head of the household is her dog Keller.

Celine Tobias and Mike Tobias

What to Do When There's Nothing You Can Do

Celine Tobias is the youngest of Mike Tobias’ and his wife’s, six children. Celine is a 9th grader at Marcus High School with a passion for cheerleading, entrepreneurship, leadership, adventure photography, and her family. Celine plans to pursue a career in business with a focus in sales. Mike is senior partner at Lure Studios where he helps companies develop high performing digital media and marketing programs. Over his thirty-year career, Mike, an accomplished entrepreneur, has raised over $100 million for his various businesses ventures. Together Mike and Celine have watched countless episodes of Shark Tank, sold hundreds of dollars worth of fresh squeezed lemonade, and caught a lot of fish.

Nikhita Ragam

The Perfect Example

Nikhita Ragam is a student at Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas. She is a hardworking and determined student, always ready to step into leadership roles. For the past ten years, she has been learning Bharatanatyam, an ancient Indian dance form and is actively involved in the Marcus Band program. She has a love for politics and an everlasting, uncontrollable desire to learn.

Sweta Murthy

From the Problem to the Solution

Sweta Murthy is a sophomore at Flower Mound High School and is passionate about performing classical music and writing original songs. Sweta was crowned Miss Southlake’s Outstanding Teen 2017 because of her talent, confidence, and emphasis on advocating for our planet. Since becoming vegetarian, Sweta has been actively speaking up for the innocent and sentient beings in our world. In her own effort to save animals, Sweta is currently adopting a hen at the Preetirang Sanctuary in San Jose, California. She believes that spreading compassion and sympathy throughout the world is the key to understanding global warming and climate change.

Sydney Emuakhagbon

Embracing the Colors of Society

Sydney Emuakhagbon is a 9th grade student attending Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas. She is 14 years old and a dedicated dreamer. She's firm in what she believes and doesn't stand for injustice that she can aid in stopping. She is excited about her bright future and the possibility of bringing others along for the ride in celebrating differences and uniqueness that keeps our world from being boring.

Thomas Faulkner

Dream the Extreme

Thomas J. Faulkner was born on Earth in 2006. He is a fifth grader at Prairie Trail Elementary school and is looking forward to the new adventure that awaits him in middle school. Thomas’ favorite subject is science, and he also loves doing creative projects in his Gifted and Talented class which is what his TEDx talk submission started out as. He enjoys Marvel super heroes, Pokemon, reading, playing piano, and hanging out with his friends.