Congrats To Napa High's Kimberly Jessica Ramirez Gonzalez!

From Tia Butts with TEDxNapaValley:

Kimberly Jessica Ramirez Gonzalez of Napa High School is the winner of the 2015 TEDxNapaValley Student Speak-Off earning the opportunity to speak at this year’s TEDxNapaValley event on Sunday, April 12, at the Napa Valley Performing Arts Center at Lincoln Theater.

The TEDxNapaValley Student Speak-Off took place Wednesday night at the Napa High School Little Theater and was the largest to date, including students from Napa High School, St. Helena High School, Calistoga Junior-Senior High School, Vintage High School, Justin-Siena High School, and Sonoma Valley High School.

Competitors presented their three to six-minute multi-media talk centered on this year’s theme, “Redefining Success,” to the TEDxNapaValley organizing team, who selected the final winner.

Student talks were judged on elocution and style, their ability to immediately grab the audience in the introduction, use of digital media to enhance their presentation, the general crafting of their talk and the ability to deliver it within the allotted three to six-minute time frame.

Ramirez Gonzalez presented a moving talk focused on how she came to redefine success through very tragic, troubling and harsh times in her young life.

“The reason that I wanted to share my story is because many people have told me it’s very inspiring. I’m not just another person telling you [life is] going to get better. I’m living proof it’s going to get better,” said 17 year-old Ramirez Gonzalez, founder of Girls United at Napa High.

Other student finalists competing included Giovany Castro (Vintage), Galilea Hernandez (St. Helena), James Jordan (Justin-Siena), Ana Pastana Lee (Justin-Siena), Madeline Claire Libby (Sonoma Valley), Stefany Lopez (Calistoga), Brenda Maldonado (Sonoma Valley), Liliana Montanez (St.Helena), George Navarro (Vintage), Carly Solberg (Napa), Kaory Verduzco (Calistoga) and Alejandro Villalpando (Vintage).

The full lineup of speakers for TEDxNapaValley 2015 will feature a dozen people from the local community and beyond.

Story here: TEDxNapaValley Conference Announces 2015 Speakers.

Event information and online ticket sales are available atwww.tedxnapavalley.org

The first TEDxNapaValley conference took place in 2011. 2015 will mark the fourth year for the conference.

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