Theme: Ad Astra Per Aspera

Ad Astra Per Aspera means "through hardships to the stars". At the heart of Silicon Valley, Santa Clara is a naturally tech-centered and filled with innovative minds that often surround itself in its own automated bubble. Through TEDxSantaClaraHS, we hope to build a platform that can bring new perspectives often overlooked in our local educational community. Join us to hear innovators spread ideas, see creators inspire others, and storytellers bringing unique topics to light.

Santa Clara High School
3000 Benton St
Santa Clara, California, 95051
United States

Medha Kini

Medha Kini is a freshman at UCLA majoring in computer science. Having been a member of the 49ers STEM Leadership Institute since the program's debut, she has had the opportunity to experience design thinking in the real world and work with industry-level technology, all of which have led her to develop a strong interest in engineering. Her exposure to technology and robotics has manifested itself into a skill and a lifelong passion. By pursuing a degree in computer science, she hopes to combine her engineering passion with giving back to her community; the ability of CS to improve the world around her is a future that she cannot wait to be a part of. In her free time, Medha enjoys playing piano, having performed at Carnegie Hall in 2019, along with drawing.

Nithila Poongovan

Nithila Poongovan is an aspiring researcher in computer-based assistive technology and a special needs advocate in her community. Although still a senior in high school, her impact on her local special needs community has been extensive. As a co-founder of the fiscally sponsored nonprofit Young Inquisitive Minds, she has taught STEM to over 350 kids with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Through her roles as NorCal Committee Chair of Special Olympics YAC and Student President of Circle of Friends, she helped lead and organize inclusion initiatives throughout her community and across California. She runs a blog, Embracing Special Needs, which has published over 60 articles and has received support from world-famous advocates like Dr.Temple Grandin. With her various community efforts to promote inclusion and her career goals in assistive technology, Nithila is constantly working towards making disability barriers are a thing of the past.

Saurav Gandhi

Saurav Gandhi is a junior at the 49ers STEM Leadership Institute at Santa Clara High School. After reading The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba, he partnered with the African Library Project to start a nation-wide initiative called STEM Libraries for Africa. This project aims to bridge the STEM education opportunity gap by sending STEM resources to schools in rural, sub-Saharan Africa. Saurav and a team of passionate book drive organizers across the United States organize STEM-themed book drives for students in Kenya, Uganda, Lesotho, Ghana, Botswana, and Malawi. In his free time, Saurav enjoys playing the Indian Drums Tabla, tinkering with off-the-shelf microcontrollers, reading historical fiction, and exploring new places. He plans to continue working towards addressing inequalities in STEM education throughout his career.