Seatown Story Collective speakers prepare for the spotlight
meet our first cohort of TEDxBallardYouth storytellers and changemakers
Drumroll, please…on Saturday, May 25, 2024 Seattle will host its first TEDxBallardYouth showcase at the Ballard branch of the Seattle Public Library!
Brought together by Seatown Story Collective (SSC) and supported by months of TED-Ed Student Talks courses at the University of Washington led by SSC founders and TED-Ed Innovative Educators Jerome Hunter, M.A.T. and Kristin Leong, M.Ed., twelve brave students will take the stage to share their original stories and bold ideas. Our Seattle Channel friends will be joining us to film and broadcast all student talks.
Meet our first cohort of Seatown Story Collective youth storytellers:
Victoria is a 6th grader. She’s a Lead Student Ambassador and a competitor on her school’s debate team. She likes painting, writing, and making music. Victoria enjoys sharing her stories, especially if her experiences can help others.
Finn is a sophomore in high school. He likes sneakers, tennis, and eating un-toasted Pop Tarts. Finn is a 2023 EchoX Journalism Fellow and he is part of MoPop’s Youth Advisory Board. He believes that everyone has a story to tell.
Kamu is a 8th grader. She is the founder of the Desi Affinity Group and a leader in her school’s student government. When she’s not swimming or playing the flute, she’s baking, reading, or crocheting.
Anthony is a freshman in high school. He’s a trumpet player and a Sabre fencer who likes playing video games, fishing, and walking his dog. He hopes to take his learnings from our course this spring and start a public speaking club at his school.
Dorothy is a sophomore in high school. She’s a softball player and an animal lover. She believes that the animal ethics and conservation go hand-in-hand. When she’s not in school working with animal sanctuaries, she’s at home with her Jack Russell terrier, Ripley.
Jinie is a 17-year-old honors student at the University of Washington where she is double majoring in Philosophy and Law. She is currently The Family Court Report’s 2023-24 Reporting Fellow and an intern with the WA State Human Rights Commissioner. Jinie believes that youth have the power to shape our future.
Daniel is a sophomore in high school. He’s a former member of his school’s Student Council and captain of multiple sports teams. He enjoys working out, cooking, photography, and binging shows on YouTube with friends. Daniel believes that developing his own TEDx talk will bring him closer to becoming the person he wants to be.
Grayson is an 8th grader. She’s captain of her soccer team and part of her school’s leadership crew. She believes that parents and kids should work together to navigate divorce and family changes. I’m addition to soccer, Grayson loves baking, reading, the ocean, and her family.
Ada is a 15-year-old freshman at the University of Washington. An enthusiastic member of UW’s Debate Society and a former national-level debate competitor with their high school, Ada is also a writer interested in telling the stories they wish they had read as a child.
Maya is a 6th grader. She loves theater and debate, and when she’s not in front of an audience she enjoys reading realistic fiction and creating book review and science videos on YouTube.
Bea is a freshman in high school. She’s an artist and storyteller who is interested in human rights issues and interactive storytelling. They spend their free time learning about art from cultures around the world, bouldering, and writing their next big D&D campaign.
Haley is an 8th grader. She is a core member of her school’s student leadership team, a nationally recognized equestrian, a member of SAAS’s golf team, and a soccer player for Seattle United. Haley loves photography and aspires to become a veterinarian among many other big goals.
TEDxBallardYouth is not hosted, sponsored, or endorsed by The Seattle Public Library. Any views that are shared as part of this event are not a reflection of The Seattle Public Library’s views.