Extracurriculars

Hobbies

Some of my hobbies and interests include: reading, traveling, making wire jewelry, baking, swimming, and painting. I find it really fun being able to express creativity in something like jewelry, so I enjoy it a lot.

Swim + Dive

At my sending school, ABRHS, I was on the varsity girls swim and dive team for two years, one year as a swimmer, and one as a diver (one-meter springboard diving). Aside from swimming in the pool or competing, I also love going to different water bodies such as lakes, ponds, and especially the beach. Honestly, anything involving water is exciting to me, so I also really like kayaking, whether it be at a local pond or lake, or while on vacation! I would also love to learn how to surf if I ever get the chance.

Volunteering + Clubs

I volunteer at several places in the community throughout the year. I participated in a club called Girls in Science/STEM for four years, where I started off doing experiments and learning more about different areas in STEM, but the last two years, I volunteered to mentor middle school girls in different areas of STEM, help them get started with science research, and broaden their horizons. We did experiments and labs, like dissecting a sheep's heart and lungs, examining different microorganisms, comparing plant vs. animal cells, and more.

I also run a chemistry club, Chem4All , which prepares middle school students for a competition called You Be the Chemist. I participated in this competition when I was in middle school, and won first place at the national level, but unfortunately our community had no avenue to do this through the school or any other clubs, so I co-founded the club and teach students chemistry through that.

Science Research

Last year, I completed a research project and presented it at several science fairs. My project was called: Exploring Epigenetics: Effects of Environmental Stressors on C. elegans and the Evaluation of DNA Methylation in Mus Musculus via a Hybrid Deep Learning/Machine Learning Model. The main objectives were to explore the relationship between epigenetic changes and disease susceptibility in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, and study the impact of environmental factors on C. elegans with epigenetic tendencies to develop specific diseases compared to a control group of wild C. elegans. I additionally utilized a deep learning/machine learning model to analyze DNA methylation and damage in the organism Mus Musculus. My project Won “Best Cellular Biology Project” at the Region IV science fair, and I advanced to and presented at MSEF.

This past summer, I did an internship at Izon Science. There, I worked on several different projects, and worked with their qEV Isolation platform, which consists of qEV columns and the Automatic Fraction Collector, and these columns use Size Exclusion chromatography in order to isolate Extracellular Vesicles(EVs) from plasma or other fluids. Additionally, I gained experience by doing Western Blot Protein Assays, PCR (polymerase chain reaction), Gel Electrophoresis, and BCA protein Assays. I also worked with the Exoid instrument, which uses Tunable Resistive Pulse Sensing (TRPS) in order to measure EV concentration and size.

Volunteering

During the 24-25 school year, I engaged in several volunteering opportunities. A major volunteering activity I did was with the Red Cross club at MAMS. While the club is rooted in service, the focus at MAMS was on educational outreach. One of our key projects involved preparing an all-school presentation about space law. I helped plan the structure of the presentation, design slides, and develop engaging activities to teach students about the ethical and legal challenges of space exploration. This experience strengthened my skills in research, collaboration, and public communication, and promoted awareness of emerging global issues at our school.

Another volunteering activity I did was coordinating STEM based activities for elementary schoolers at Tatnuck Magnet School in Worcester. Alongside other MAMS students, I taught a lesson on Davinci bridges and took third and fourth grade classes through a demonstration and build of a Davinci bridge as well as helping them complete the activity themselves. After the demonstration, we guided the students through a hands-on building activity where they constructed their own Da Vinci bridges using simple materials. Throughout the lesson, I helped answer questions, troubleshoot construction issues, and encourage creative problem-solving. This experience was rewarding, as it allowed me to share my passion for STEM with younger students and develop my teaching and leadership skills in a real-world setting.