Theme: "Overcoming Adversity"

TEDxSchoolforAdvancedStudies, where the “x” stands for independently organized TED events, is a youth-led conference licensed by TED that aims to provide educational content to the greater Miami audience. We seek to give young speakers the platform to share their ideas on “Overcoming Adversity” and give our audience a transformative experience that leaves a lasting impact on their lives. Through our live speaker talks and the publishing of our idea-driven TEDx talks, it is our mission to enable open discussion in our audience and create a more informed public.

NOTE: Ticket Registration is not available yet. Thank you for your patience!

Studio Theater, Miami Dade College North Campus
11380 NW 27th Ave.
Miami, Florida, 33167-3495
United States

Brandina Jeanjacques

Student, Mental Health Activist

Brandina Jeanjacques is a sixteen-year-old student at the School for Advanced Studies. She is passionate about showcasing her ideas by performing poems and speeches at her local church. She is Haitian-American but was born in Miami, Florida. After getting published in Colorism Healing, Brandina realized that mental illnesses don't discriminate between races or ethnicities. Within this anthology, she had the chance to write about the certain stigmas that occur between races and become generalized within society. As someone who battles with mental illness, Brandina understands the dangerous implication of these stigmas. She wants people to unite within their struggles and dreams that her story will have the ability to not only inform but help her community so they can better understand each other.

Daniel Solomon

Scholar, Diverse-Ability Activist, Non-profit Founder, Musician

A Miami native, Daniel Solomon is a student at Miami Palmetto Senior High School and dual enrollment scholar at Miami Dade College, where he acts as Concertmaster of the College Strings Ensemble. Solomon is passionate about public service, music pedagogy, and STEM studies, especially ophthalmologic sciences and Assistive Technology for the visually impaired. Outside of academics, Solomon is the Founder, Musical Director (m.D.), and Head Conductor for the Pinecrest City Music Project, a non-profit organization spreading music education to local schools in partnership with the City Council of Pinecrest, Fla. He was featured in Miami’s Community Newspaper in 2018 and NBC News (WTVJ Affiliate) in 2019. Solomon is a firm believer in the ever-growing concept of “diverse-ability” and the 21st-century disability empowerment movement. Daniel hopes to communicate his personal experiences as a visually impaired activist to motivate others to embrace their differences and pursue their passions.

Oscar Serra

Student, Volunteer, Speech Activist

Oscar Serra is a dual enrollment student at School for Advanced Studies who advocates for self-expression. Oscar was born in Cuba, but raised in Miami, Florida. He is a junior alumnus of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, spends his time tutoring elementary school children, helps people through Mu Alpha Theta, and participated in garbage clean-ups through the National Honor Society. Last summer, he spoke in Washington D.C. to representatives about the issues facing minorities in America, such as the lack of representation and educational equality. Moreover, he spent over 200 hours advocating for students through volunteering at a college. Oscar stays true to his morals, prioritizing family, humility, and positivity. Oscar hopes to spread positive thinking to other students as it has helped him overcome obesity and speech impediments. Oscar hopes to show his audience the world of possibilities that become clear when you wake up and place yourself in the right mindset.

Sarita Vargas

Student, Community Leader

Sarita Vargas strives to represent the colors and flavors of her Hispanic heritage: the warmth and determined nature that characterize her people. She’s the proud daughter of two Colombian immigrants, who share a common thread story amongst many immigrants: the constant battle against discrimination, language barriers, and financial adversity. However, Sarita has used her previous failures and successes to encourage and mentor young minority girls in middle school experiencing their battles, through a project she has titled Girl Up. Not only has she dedicated her time to sharing her story with the next generation, but she hopes to inspire those around her to become leaders within their communities, schools, and homes. Today Sarita serves as President to both her school SGA and district. She believes that everyone was born with a natural gift, which is the outward manifestation of their essence. However, it’s through adversity, perseverance, and vision that we polish these gifts.

Steeve Simbert

Author, Ivy League College Admissions Counselor, CEO and Founder, Motivational Career Mentor

Following the devastating earthquake in 2010, Steeve Simbert moved from Haiti to the United States. Since then, he graduated from Georgetown, became the first Haitian-American to receive a Master of Public Policy from the University of Oxford, Blavatnik School of Government, and has worked diligently as a staffer in the U.S. Congress, the Department of the Navy and the Department of State. He studied abroad, attending Sciences Po in France and the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He is the author of The Young Leader’s Guide to Internships, Scholarships, and Fellowships in Washington, D.C., and Beyond and Finding Hope in Chaos: Rising From Crisis into the American Dream. He is the Founder and CEO of www.jobarter.com, a global freelancing platform where startup founders and freelancers connect and collaborate remotely. He now gives back by mentoring young students, helping them achieve their academic and career goals.

Stephen Kelly

Student, Young Political Activist

Stephen Kelly strives to change the narrative used to describe his community. When faced with adversity, Stephen has chosen to rise above it. When he was told that he would not be able to read at his grade level, the following year, not only did he read at his grade level, he surpassed it and was reading at a high school level. Stephen has been able to serve on the Youth Advisory Committee as President and is a third-year Commissioner in the Miami Dade Youth Commission as Chair of the Advocacy and Legislation Committee. Through his involvement in government, Stephen recognizes the influence youth can have in government when given the platform, be it on education reform, social justice, or gun policy. Stephen is an advocate for the expansion of youth voice in government. He believes that we all have an intrinsic ability to speak up for things that matter to us. Stephen hopes to show the youth the various platforms available to them so that they too can be heard.

Tomas Fiure

Student Leader

A native Argentinian, Tomas Fiure encountered a great challenge as he adopted English for everyday life. Having inherited a speech disfluency, Tomas has repeatedly chosen to venture outside of his community and put himself in positions of discomfort. Tomas holds positions of leadership in his high school, as a research assistant at the University of Miami, as the leader of a weekly program his local Jewish community, and in his varsity soccer team. Educating 250 people on a weekly basis, mentoring college students and directing teammates on and off the field, he hopes to continuously push himself to be better and further engage in his community. Leading by example, Tomas hopes to inspire people to test the limits of their perceived boundaries through every word he speaks and action he takes.