Theme: A Palette of Perspectives

The flipside on issues. The existence of alternatives. The opposite way of looking at the world.

How magic isn't just about taking rabbits out of a hat? How toys can redefine education? How social media isn't detrimental but maybe just the future? How introverts are just like us? How crying is perfectly fine for men? How deaf people see, or should I say, hear the world?

A night on how perspective defines us. Maybe it's time we don't just look at the glass whether it's half full or half empty but how it looks from underneath. It's time to see the world from different perspectives.

Harmony Science Academy
9321 W Sam Houston Pkwy S
Houston, Texas, 77099
United States

Amanda Trost

Amanda (French) Trost is a teacher and debate coach at Harmony School of Science-High in Sugar Land, TX. She attended public school in the Spring Branch Independent School District before majoring in political science at the University of Houston. As a educator in the Houston area for eleven years, she has been instrumental in establishing opportunities both campus and district wide for students to speak and build confidence. When she is not teaching or assisting students in preparing for debate competitions and poetry slams, she enjoys spending time with her family, writing, practicing yoga, making art, and doing home improvement projects. Trost is excited to participate in TEDxHSSHigh and aims to include public speaking as a regular part of her career.

Caesar Moreno

Born March 13 1990 in Mexico City, Caesar is an award winning illusionist who has performed professionally since the age of 18. Today he currently resides in Houston TX. and is a world renowned entertainer, performing all across the world for Fortune 500 Companies and Exclusive Private Events.

Emmanuel "Outspoken" Bean

A Texas Poet Laureate nominee and Ranked 25t in the Individual World Poetry Slam 2012, Outspoken Bean lives up to his stage name. He started performing spoken-word in 2003. In 2006, he made the poetry slam teams for both San Antonio and Houston. In his senior year at Prairie View A&M, Bean founded and coached the University’s first poetry slam team. In their first year, under Bean’s mentorship, they won the number one title in their region and went on to an impressive eighth place ranking in the country. In addition to traveling the country performing, Bean serves as the Program Director, Lead Coach and mentor for Meta-Four Houston, a non-profit organization that uses reading, creative writing, poetry and performance techniques to increase literacy, instill critical thinking, intersect cultures and inspire leadership in today’s youth.

Homer Stewart

A young high school student playing a very active role in his community from playing varsity basketball to student council officer to an involved member at his church, Homer Dean Stewart has had the passion of poetry and spoken word from a young age.

Mekel Harris

Mekel Harris, Ph.D., NCSP, a licensed psychologist, serves as a professor, practitioner, and researcher throughout Los Angeles County. Her expertise lies in health psychology, assessment, and consultation for children with health conditions, as well as their families. Throughout the past five years, she has presented at over 25 national and international conferences targeting pediatric health issues, child abuse, interdisciplinary consultation, spirituality with the African-American community, and grief and loss. She received doctoral training in School Psychology from University of Houston and completed her pre-doctoral internship and two-year post-doctoral fellowship in Pediatric Psychology at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), where she earned the “Clinical Excellence Award.” She recently completed a children’s book, focused on childhood grief and loss and is working towards publication.