hi again!

I’m Kayla, a senior at Mass Academy. I was born in New Jersey, where I lived for seven years, until I moved to Massachusetts in third grade. Currently, I live in Boston, MA, where I love spending my free time exploring new bookshops and cafés and taking photos on my film camera.

project 351

Since eighth grade, I’ve represented my hometown of Upton, MA in service, leading seasonal service projects such as 9/11 Tribute Service, Holiday Food Drives, Spring Clothing Drives, and Earth Day Clean-Ups. Project 351 aims at uniting unsung heroes in all 351 towns in Massachusetts and bringing positive change to each of our communities. Being a part of this incredible community of leaders has allowed me to meet new people, understand new perspectives, and develop skills in leadership. For the past two years, I have had the pleasure of serving as a member of the Alumni Mentorship Council, where my role is centered around leading and mentoring a group of nine ambassadors in leading service projects of their own. Pursuing this role has brought me a deeper understanding of responsibility, the value of kindness and action for good, as well as developing and engaging younger people in gaining inspiration from incredible service heroes and taking action to make the change that they are passionate about.

stemmies

For the past few months, I’ve been working with friends and Project 351 community members to develop a nonprofit organization aiming at engaging youth in developing their problem-solving skills, utilizing engineering and innovative exploration to develop small-scale solutions to global issues and to gain a better understanding of topics often overlooked in academic settings. From extreme weather events to degrading urban infrastructure, we aim to educate youth about the pressing issues of our world, how organizations are fighting against these issues, and how they can contribute today and in the future. While we are in the ideation phase of creating this organization, feel free to reach out to stemmies1@gmail.com with any questions or to explore more!

running & soccer

Since fifth grade, I’ve enjoyed running recreationally and competitively for my sending school’s cross country and track teams. Running allows me to relax, enjoy nature, and challenge my mind to endure long distances and obstacles in the terrain. From 1-mile jogs to 10-mile runs, I enjoy challenging myself to endure new challenges, finding post-run satisfaction and pride in my athletic achievements. I have also played soccer since I was in second grade, enjoying the competitive aspects of the game as well as the satisfaction in scoring a goal, making a pass, or outrunning the competition. At Mass Academy, I hope to run in my free time and train for longer distance races, as well as play soccer recreationally and with friends and family.

museum of science

Last summer, I had the pleasure of pursuing an internship at the Museum of Science in Boston, MA. As a STEM Ambassador for the museum, I worked in both the Community Engagement and Research and Evaluation departments. Through this internship, I gained a passion for accessible science education, as well as an appreciation and better understanding of data science and project-based data collection and evaluation. During this internship, I contributed to a partnership with the Department of Conservation and Recreation, creating a secondary succession sorting activity centered around how wildfires affect plants and animals and how wildfires can be prevented or controlled. This partnership allowed me to develop skills in formal expression as well as experience firsthand the iterative process of creating educational content. To download the write-up for my developed activity, use this link. I am currently taking on the role of Research, Development, and Evaluation Intern, where I support the Museum's Living Laboratory initiative and contribute to preliminary research around emerging exhibit topics.

extracurriculars @ mams

At Mass Academy, I enjoy staying active within the community through my participation in clubs, leadership positions, and extracurricular offerings. I have participated in Cooking Club, Physics Club, Math Team, and the Society of Women Engineers. I currently work as the varsity operator for the FRC 190 robotics team, and pursue leadership through the community service club and school council as a student representative.

photography

During the pandemic, I gained an appreciation for photography and cinema, using a film camera and a digital camera to capture my travels, moments in my life, and friends and family. Pursuing this passion allowed me to develop my artistic expression. Using these images, I created a scrapbook and an Instagram page that displays my exposures and creative pursuits, being centered around memories, jazz, and urban life. Click here to access my film Instagram page!

baking

In my free time, I enjoy baking with my mom while we listen to jazz. Doing this is incredibly relaxing, and the joy felt from being able to eat and share your desserts with friends and family is amazing! From breads and cakes to tarts and pastries, I get inspired by exploring new cookbooks and watching food competitions on TV. Here are a few of the desserts I’ve made over the years.

creating

While this is more of a broad activity, I really enjoy creating cool things, like rockets, robots, and art whenever I have time. It's been a great way for me to exercise creativity and create something cool with whatever materials I have. Pursuing both artistic and technical creation has also been a great way for me to develop technical skills with microcontrollers, mechanics, and design. Here are a few creations I've made over the past few months!

macs

One way I’ve worked towards fulfilling our 100-hour community service requirement is through my participation in the Mass Academy Community Service (MACS) club. This club is a great way of getting involved within the MAMS community and exploring local outreach opportunities. I primarily attended monthly STEM Saturdays, which involved developing and providing fun, hands-on STEM activities to children at the Millbury and Worcester Public Libraries. Some examples include making slime, constructing an infinite mirror box, and making your own bouncy ball. I also participated in MACS’ service at Worcester State University and Avanza, where we created hydraulics-powered boxes with local Worcester students.

robotics

Volunteering and community service is a huge component of becoming a varsity member on the Mass Academy/WPI robotics team. I’ve volunteered at First Technical Challenge (FTC) events as a volunteer and queuer, as well as worked with the team to create a coloring page for community members. While most of this has been to fulfill my varsity requirements, the team hosts many opportunities for service that have counted towards by 100-hour requirement! Apart from MACS and robotics, I also pursue community service through my work with Project 351, volunteering with the Museum of Science, and my work with developing the Stemmies nonprofit organization.