The healing power of video games: Steven Gonzalez at TEDxSugarLand

After battling a rare and aggressive form of cancer, Steven is living his life to the fullest. Beating the odds of less than 2% chance for survival, Steven will share how his experience has given him a passion to help kids heal through video games. Steven González is a junior at The Woodlands College Park High School. He is currently an Eagle Scout in Troop 204. He has held multiple leadership positions and attended many leadership training classes. After receiving his MacBook from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Steven self-taught himself several programs such as Toon Boom, iMovie, and Maya using Google. While learning Maya he became the animator for his robotics team at his school. Later he used his skills in Maya to help the Art Director at MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital make 3D models of the kid's artwork. Steven is also working with HopeLab, an organization with a primary focus to make video games for kids with cancer. Steven enjoys playing video games and knitting in his free time, but his true passion lies in making video games. Steven plans to study video game development in college with hopes that one day he can develop his own company that makes games that are appealing to both cancer and non-cancer patients and perhaps helps these two communities understand each other.
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, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. 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)