Deeksha Amarala

Deeksha Amarala is a passionate student at Cherry Creek High School, known for her optimism, hard work, and leadership. Actively involved in her school community, Deeksha holds several leadership positions, including President of the South Asian Student Association, Executive Board Member of the National Honor Society, and Board of Captains Member of Model United Nations. Her involvement extends to Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and DECA, where she achieved second place at the international level, showcasing her exceptional skills and competitive spirit. 

Outside of school, Deeksha has been trained in the Indian classical dance form called Kuchipudi. After a decade of rigorous training, she successfully completed her “Rangapravesam” (dance graduation) in 2023, a milestone that marks her dedication, passion, and resilience, even in the face of hurdles. She is proud to be recognized as a professional Kuchipudi dancer, a testament to her commitment and love for the art form.

Her journey, however, has not been without significant challenges. In 2019, Deeksha was a survivor of the STEM School shooting, an event that profoundly impacted her life and reshaped her perspective on resilience and personal growth.

Despite facing such adversity, Deeksha has emerged stronger, using her experiences to fuel her determination and inspire others. Deeksha’s infectious positivity and love for new experiences drive her to constantly seek knowledge and embrace challenges. She is passionate about sharing her story, hoping to inspire others to see failure not as a dead end, but as a detour towards growth, emerging stronger from these difficulties.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 30 years ago, TED has grown to support its mission with multiple initiatives. The two annual TED Conferences invite the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes or less. Many of these talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sal Khan and Daniel Kahneman.

The annual TED Conference takes place each spring in Vancouver, British Columbia. TED’s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TED Talks are posted daily; TED Translators, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as translations from volunteers worldwide; the educational initiative TED-Ed. TED has established The Audacious Project that takes a collaborative approach to funding ideas with the potential to create change at thrilling scale; TEDx, which supports individuals or groups in hosting local, self- organized TED-style events around the world, and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.

Follow TED on Twitter at  http://twitter.com/TEDTalks, or on Facebook at  http://www.facebook.com/TED.