Theme: Who Am I?

One of the greatest challenges we face as human beings isn't necessarily unlocking the secrets of the pyramids or figuring out how to sustain life on Mars, but understanding our own selves. Join us and our 11 insightful speakers for a night of introspection, reflection, and discovery.

Doral Academy Preparatory School Gymnasium
11100 N.W. 27th Street
Doral, Florida, 33172
United States

Alex Herrera

Speaker

Alejandro is a Miami local who was born in Austin, Texas. He is proud of both sides of his Cuban and Mexican heritage, to which he attributes his passion and his tenacity, respectively. He is a vital member of his school’s Robotics Club. Strong willed and focused, he is excited to take his ideas, beliefs (and a little bit of imagination!) to the public speaking realm.

Andrea Gomez

Speaker

Andrea is a senior who was born and raised in Maracaibo, Venezuela, and moved to the United States in 2014. She is a black belt in Karate who loves reading as well as spending time with her friends. She is the president of the Doral Academy Model United Nation (MUN) team and loves debating current events. Last summer, Andrea volunteered for the Miami Dade Teen Court, where she served as an attorney in juvenile cases--an experience she found incredibly rewarding. ​

Angel Peña

Speaker

Angel is a Florida-born Puerto Rican senior with two stories to be told. He has been raised by a military style professionalism and discipline largely due to the Air Force Auxiliary he has served in for the past six years. This has formed the brash and serious nature he has when it comes to getting work done, but past all that is an aspiring veterinarian whose jovial personality makes him so approachable to animals people alike. These two halves are what make him whole--just hope he isn't in military mode when you meet him!

Damiana Jimenez

Speaker

Damiana is a senior who is interested in poetry, philosophy, and religious studies. Introduced to philosophy in 2014, the same year she started writing poetry, Damiana has since become the Ethics Bowl captain and a leader in the school’s poetry club. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2015, she is grateful that she discovered her it early on because she has had time to adjust her life and her mind to fit her circumstances. She is a big supporter of Socrates’ quote, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”--and she does her best to ensure that hers is one worth living.

David Espinal

Speaker

David is a Hispanic-American senior at the Doral Performing Arts Academy. He has been acting for several years, takes interest in areas such as mathematics, philosophy, and poetry and plans to go to college to get a degree in biomedical engineering. He is the vice president of the Doral Academy chapter of the National English Honor Society and an officer in the school's Slam Poetry Club. He's witty, wacky, and usually unwarranted. However, underneath that fiery exterior, you'll be sure to find a person with a deep love of humanity and a vast hope for the future.

Erich Vasquez

Speaker

Erich is the proud son of Cuban immigrants and a person of faith who looks at the simplicity of life. Inspired by the field of philosophy, Erich, a senior, learned to enjoy reasonable debates and talk about a diverse set of ideas using the standard of logic and its laws. History is another passion of his, as evidenced by his qualification for the National History Bee, along with the fact the he has passed every Advanced Placement History class offered! Informed, experienced and excited, Erich looks to inspire people in such a way that it not only changes their minds but also their hearts--towards happiness, peace and goodness.

Joshua Lutz

Speaker

Joshua is senior who is calm, doesn’t take life too seriously and prefers to just “go with the flow.” An avid reader, he is a member of his school’s chapter of the National English Honor Society and volunteers as a writing tutor, helping his peers with college and scholarship essays. He spends most of his free time with friends, and is deemed funny, outgoing and loyal.

Katherine De Jesus

Speaker

Katherine, a senior, is a STEM nerd-turned-aspiring-filmmaker who thrives off doing the impossible. A National Merit Scholar, Silver Knight nominee, and internationally awarded high school filmmaker, Katherine never fails to exceed the high expectations she sets for herself. Teachers and classmates alike can attest to her kind heart and willingness to help others. If there is anything that should be noted about Katherine, it is that she is always 100% herself.

Kimberly De Jesus

Speaker

Kimberly is a high achieving senior who happened to make a wrong turn and ended up sucked into the all-consuming environment that is TV Production! Never letting the opinions of others strike her down, Kimberly juggles a wide range of extracurricular activities as President of the TV Production program (FirebirdTV), an active member of National Honor Society, a volunteer at Miami Children’s Theater, all while has maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout high school. Her quirky, creative mind and her sincerity make Kimberly the kind of leader and artist we are all sure to follow.

Ritu Amarnani

Speaker

Ritu’s love for public speaking began from the moment she realized just how powerful her voice is. As a sophomore, she genuinely enjoys everything from class presentations to Socratic Circles and Model United Nations. In her free time she enjoys writing poetry while listening to heavy metal, recognizing that time moves so quickly in our daily lives that sometimes we need to take a moment to stop, and feel.

Santiago Arias

Speaker