What does it take to turn around a school whose reputation has been tarnished for decades? At John Muir High School, perseverance, care, culture, and commitment transformed negative public perception into pride, showing that the right people and the right vision can rewrite a community’s story. Alfredo Resendiz was born and raised in the Altadena/Pasadena area. He attended Muir HS in Pasadena before matriculating at San Jose State University and Cal State Los Angeles. He has worked in the Pasadena Unified School District since 2002 as an English teacher and athletic director at Muir HS. Alfredo is the father of two young men, Nico & Ely, also graduates of Muir HS, and stepfather to Mia, who attends Field Elementary in Pasadena.Alfredo has worked tirelessly in his 'Dena community for almost 30 years. Aside from his teaching profession, he has helped his community as a volunteer baseball/football coach, tutor, community organizer, mentor, and overall 'Dena cheerleader. He has worked for or volunteered for the following: Pasadena Unified School District, Villa-Parke Community Center, West Altadena Little League, Pasadena Panthers, Central Altadena Little League, Pasadena Central Little League, YMCA, City of Pasadena, Altadena Library (main branch), Frostig School, among others.After taking the Cool Beans Comedy class at the Ice House in Pasadena in 2024, Alfredo has started a new chapter as a standup comedian. He has performed all over Southern California and hopes to one day tour the country.Today, his TEDxPasadena speech will focus on his alma mater and current place of employment, Muir HS, to discuss the school's perseverance and rise from a tarnished public perception to an amazing academic institution. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

What does it mean to truly belong? Jeannine Bogaard reflects on returning home after decades abroad and explores how family, community, and shared culture gently bind us together, shaping connection, resilience, and a sense of belonging. Jeannine Bogaard grew up in Pasadena and has spent most of her life working in the area of education. She currently works as the V.P of Community Impact at the Pasadena Community Foundation. Jeannine manages the grants and scholarship programs and is enjoying reconnecting with people in the community, both old friends and new.Several years ago, Jeannine returned to Pasadena after a prestigious 35-year career abroad. After completing her degree, Sociology with an emphasis in education, at the University of California, San Diego, she moved to Spain to learn Spanish and teach English to young children. After nine years in the classroom, she spent 20 years in educational publishing, including managing the editorial, production, and manufacturing teams at Cambridge University Press. During her last six years in Spain, Jeannine was the Director of the American School of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands.In her free time, Jeannine likes long-distance running, yoga, travel, listening to books and spending time with her family. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

The United States government does not keep any records of Santa Ana windstorms—or any windstorms for that matter. In this TEDx Pasadena Talk, local Meteorologist Edgar McGregor, whose town and worksite were destroyed in the catastrophic January 2025 Eaton Fire, proposes a new windstorm classification scale to be used in all non-hurricane wind events nationwide. Edgar McGregor is a meteorologist and environmental activist living in the Pasadena area. After cleaning up trash daily for nearly 2,000 days at Eaton Canyon, he recognized the potential for a major wildfire over a week in advance of the events of January 7th. His early warnings allowed Altadena residents to plan and prepare for a cataclysmic wildfire. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Your brain doesn’t just record reality- it edits it. This talk uncovers how perception, bias, and empathy shape the world you think you see. Tanisha is a 9th Grade student at Franconian International School. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Pedro explores our tendency to accept partial truths and 'single stories'. Pedro is a 9th Grade student at Franconian International School. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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