Theme: Becoming an Outlier

This theme's concept comes from the book "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell, a required reading within the Honors Program at PVAMU. An Outlier is an individual who does things that go beyond the realm of the ordinary. Gladwell's book states that success doesn't happen all at once, and it isn't solely based on intelligence; instead, it is based on various factors. "Outliers" provides evidence that hard work and opportunity in almost all cases are more important than intelligence, and this is what we will permeate through our audience at TEDxPVAMU. This event hopes to push forward the idea of standing out, seizing opportunity, and moving with purpose through our speakers' stories.

Prairie View A&M University
100 University Dr.
Prairie View, Texas, 77446
United States

Chayse Lavallais

PhD Student

A 2019 graduate of Prairie View A&M University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. His love for learning and gathering new experiences led him to his current path of becoming a scientific researcher. He completed undergrad research with the Department of Chemistry working on Proton Exchange Membranes and completed a 10-week summer research program at Stanford University developing nanoparticles to be used for catalysis. Currently, Chayse is a second year Chemical Engineering PhD student at Northwestern University, where he does research evaluating novel waste nitrogen recovery technologies and their potential to produce beneficial products.

Ivy Walls

Farmer

Community entrepreneur, and creative visionary from Houston, Texas. In 2015, Ivy began her journey manufacturing apparel that praises the essence of black and brown communities with the brand Shop The Ivy Files. Her passion for creating community led her to create social networks such as Undisputed Excellence, Jeeping While Black. Reciprocity and now Ivy Leaf Farms. After graduating from Prairie View A&M University. Ivy worked full time as an Infection Preventionist. The opportunity to work closely with COVID-19 patients allowed her to realize the importance of expediting her farming mobility ventures. Ivy is currently opening Fresh Houwse Grocery a farmer owned , community operated grocery store in Sunnyside. As a Jane of many trades, Ivy Walls hopes to continue nurturing her community while nurturing the world one initiative at a time. Her personal mission statement is to be a source of humanity, growth , and freedom inside of those who seek it for themselves.

Jared Bryson

Data Scientist

Data Scientist who is writing, photographing, and designing. He helped found WeAreHBCUs which is on a mission to strengthen the cultural legacy of Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) and develop HBCU students. Jared writes about maintaining relationships and staying well-connected at jaredsbryson.com. Jared earned a MS in applied analytics from Columbia University and BA in economics and Chinese from Morehouse College. Jared is based in Washington D.C. and enjoys all things geek, basketball, cycling, and reading.

Maia McFarlin

Student

A senior political science major and legal studies minor at Prairie View A & M University, graduating in May 2022. She is passionate about Black feminist thought, mindfulness practices, and, most of all, helping others. Maia has served as an intern for Senator Todd Young, working on behalf of minority constituents. Additionally, she volunteers as a Deputy Voter Registrar in Waller County, encouraging and registering her peers to vote. She currently serves as the President of the PVAMU Speech & Debate team. During her tenure on the team, she has earned over 10 titles, including National Champion in Extemporaneous Speaking and International Champion in NPDA Debate. In addition to maintaining stellar academic performance, she helps her peers as a tutor in the Writing Center. Upon graduation, Maia will begin study as a law student in the fall of 2022. She is currently reviewing offers from multiple top law schools.