On March 7, Saint Francis hosted its annual TEDxSaintFrancisHS event, where student speakers come together to give a series of talks that inform, entertain, and inspire. This year’s conference saw eight talks given by a total of ten speakers (with two duo talks), spanning topics from democracy to animation to medical diagnoses. TEDx conferences are independently-organized events connected to and licensed by the TED organization but tailored to an individual community. True to the TED motto, “Ideas Change Everything,” TEDxSaintFrancisHS 2025 truly showcased ideas that have the power to create real change.
The eight talks were split into two blocks of four speeches, separated by an intermission. Starting off the night was Shaurya Gulani (’26) with his talk entitled “Why College Applications Work (Even If You Think They Don’t).” Next up was junior Riyana Goel’s talk on atheism, religion, and faith, followed by seniors Alex Gklaros-Stavropoulos and Aadi Kenchammana, who discussed the importance of child-like curiosity. The final talk before intermission was Marco Sucre’s (’26) speech on the fall of democracy in Venezuela and the importance of freedom.
After intermission, Isabella Montesi (’25) discussed her journey in animation and the ageless nature of creativity; then, senior Edla Lahtiranta shared her struggle with ADHD and the prevalence of misdiagnosis of ADHD in girls and women. The penultimate talk was Devyn Ponnuvelu (’25) and my talk on how entertainment affects your sense of identity (or lack thereof), especially in childhood and adolescence. Closing out the night, Avery Simonsen (’26) shared her journey of learning to listen and how she was profoundly affected by her visit to The Human Library.
Beyond the talks, which undeniably shape the impact of the event, TEDx is run by a team of three co-directors, a board of publicity/hospitality/tech members, mentors, and speakers who work for nearly a year to perfectly execute the event. Building up to the event, board members had to prepare the space, market the event, and make sure everything ran smoothly day-of. The co-directors, mentors, and speakers met for multi-hour long workshops and rehearsals in the months before the event, sharing ideas, writing the talks, and polishing movements. Anna Fazioli (’25), one of the co-directors, stated, “The most difficult part was making sure we weren’t forgetting important parts of the processing, and incorporating all of it into our meetings.”
Additionally, fellow co-director Aarav Sontakke (’25) mentioned that the most challenging aspect of organizing TEDx was “dealing with the uncertainty that comes with leading a student-run event… The outcome of the event is in your hands. It is rewarding because of that, knowing you did and created something as a student.”
However, all the stress and long meetings paid off—the Graham Theater was packed with students, family members, teachers, and friends coming to support the TEDx team. Directors, board members, mentors, and speakers alike were able to see their hard work come to fruition. As a first year speaker mentor, Saanvi Juneja (’27) found herself juggling learning how TED functioned alongside working with Lahtiranta to create an inspiring talk. On event night, she loved watching Lahtiranta speak during dress rehearsals, seeing the hard work that they had put in for so many months finally come together.
Sontakke shared his favorite part of all the months of work: “It’s seeing how it brings the deepest of people onto a stage, like hearing [Katherine] and Devyn talk about something so personal to an audience… or finding something Alex and Aadi were so curious about to be brought to a wider audience. It is really just about sharing, and putting it out there at the end is so rewarding for everyone who worked on TED.” Fazioli also noted the most rewarding part of her work as a co-director was feeling the relief and pride after seeing the talks’ success on the night of the event.
As a speaker myself, I was able to see first hand not only the hard work and preparation that went into planning such a large event, but also the community that TEDx fosters. From the white elephant Christmas party to talking to fellow club members after late-night rehearsals to getting In-N-Out after the event, TEDx has been more than just an event to me; it’s been a family. I remember the moment I was talking to Fazioli after one rehearsal and realized that the TEDx community has easily (and quickly) become one of my favorite parts of Saint Francis.
Almost everyone I interviewed shared this sentiment. Fazioli loved being able to bond with everyone, especially in the meetings that occurred in the latter half of the event preparation. Montesi wonderfully put it, “I loved getting to know other people on the team. TEDxSaintFrancis is basically a self-filtered group of thoughtful yappers, so you get a lot of entertaining but engaging conversations.” Additionally, Miguel Malicse (’26), a speaker mentor who gave a talk last year, shared, “I found home and solace in TED, feeling that my ideas were listened to and not brushed aside.”
Grace Coyle, a senior in her third year at TEDx, stated, “I’ve loved the diversity and individuality, not just in the talks I’ve mentored, but in all the talks I’ve come across at TEDxSaintFrancis… I’ve witnessed it truly be a place where people can be their most vulnerable selves because of the open and welcoming environment that’s been created.” The community is “rooted in positivity, self-expression, and our Holy Cross values.” Coyle continued, “A lot of my closest friends from all grade levels have come from TED, and I attribute that to the TEDx community and its power to bring people together.”
Without the hard work from the directors, board members, speaker mentors, speakers, and moderator Ms. Lesley Shortal, TEDxSaintFrancisHS would not have been the success it was. Beyond the full house and lasting impact of the speeches, TEDx will leave a legacy of community, work ethic, and, as Malicse so eloquently put his favorite part of TEDx, “lemon bars.”
Writer’s note: how fitting that my final article for my favorite community at Saint Francis is about another of my favorite communities at this school.
