TEDxRiverHillHS
BREAKING BARRIERS
The Speakers - 2025 Event
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FEATURED SPEAKERS
Amrish Vyas
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Advocacy Strategist, Consultant, Executive, Adjunct Instructor, HCC
Developing: Ethical, Emotional, & Spiritual Intelligence
A proven leader in fostering strong relationships amongst key stakeholders, communities, and influencing policy changes in advocacy operations.
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Felix Baum
Watch Your Language
Felix Baum is many things: an accomplished environmental activist, an aspiring computer scientist, and an ever curious learner. Lately, he runs a nonprofit environmental education program for Baltimore high-schoolers and develops AI solutions for a local auto repair business.
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Senior @ Mt. Hebron High School
Henry Yarmus
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Junior @ River Hill High School
Breaking Barriers: Planet vs. Profit
Henry Yarmus is a junior at River Hill High School who is passionate about leadership, business, and environmental sustainability. Through the support of the River Hill and Howard County Community, he has seen first-hand how hard work and collaboration can drive real change. Whether through conservation or advocacy, he is committed to leaving the world a better place than he found it.
Eliza Buchman
The Aral Sea: Rising from the Desert
Eliza Buchman is a sophomore at River Hill High School who loves playing the clarinet, knitting, and reading. Her favorite classes are anything to do with history and STEM, and is especially interested in international relations, languages, and anything related to geography!
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Sophomore @ River Hill High School
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Sophomore @ River Hill High School
Emery Skolkin
No Person Left Behind
Emery Skolkin is a sophomore at River Hill High School and loves playing baseball and soccer at the school. He has special interests in biology, business, chemistry, and investing, and always loves learning new things.In his free time, he spends time with his friends, volunteering with the Special Olympics of Howard County, and listening to music.
Nathanial Clarke
Be The First
Nathanial Clarke is a freshman at River Hill High School who is interested in STEM and hopes to pursue a career in biotechnology. In school, Nathanial is involved in Model UN, FBLA, and Collaborative Marketing. Outside of school, he plays soccer, swims, and is passionate about learning languages, geography, and geopolitics. Through TEDx, Nathanial hopes to inspire others not to feel limited by stereotypes, and to encourage people to become barrier breakers using what he has learned about the importance of making your own space to create new opportunities.
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Freshman @ River Hill High School
Yashica Papineni
Breaking Barriers: Closing the Gender Gap in STEM
Yashica Papineni is a sophomore at River Hill High School who is passionate about STEM and promoting gender inclusivity. She is the software lead of an all-girls robotics team, where she is able to pursue her passions and outreach to the community for more representation in the field. She's also involved in many clubs and has been playing volleyball for seven years. Through her TEDx talk, she hopes to inspire others to break barriers in STEM and follow their passions.
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Sophomore @ River Hill High School
Vishnu Kannan
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Junior @ River Hill High School
Who Gets to Love Math? Economic Disparities in Math Education
Vishnu Kannan is a junior at River Hill Developing his interest for math and science from a young age, he now spends his time on various research projects in math, machine learning, and medicine. Vishnu has recently launched math and machine learning teaching initiatives to share his passion with students in the Howard County area and beyond.
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Freshman @ River Hill High School
Riddhi Mittal
Every 40 Seconds
Riddhi Mittal is a freshman at River Hill High School who enjoys being involved in school through her position as class president, multiple clubs, and sports. She is an avid mental health supporter and hopes her TEDx inspires people to diminish the stigma and talk more freely about it. Recently, Riddhi participated in Miss Maryland’s Outstanding Teen where she advocated for empowerment through community service. She hopes that she can encourage others to break out of their shells and be brave enough to pursue their own dreams.
The Venue
River Hill High School
12101 Clarksville Pike, Clarksville, MD 21029
River Hill High School is a public high school in Clarksville, Maryland, United States. It is part of the Howard County public schools system.
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