Extracurriculars

In the fall for STEM week, I had the opportunity to work with nearby schools - Nativity School and Tatnuck Magnet School- to engineer a STEM lesson plan for middle schoolers. In groups, we planned our lessons, which included an introductory slideshow, STEM lesson, activity time, and showcase. At Nativity, my group and I introduced middle schoolers to kinetic energy using craft roller coasters.

Later on in the year, I had the opportunity to work with a different school to introduce a civics project. We split up into groups and conducted workshops for both the students and the teachers participating in the project. My group and I facilitated a fishbowl discussion where students were able to quickly jot down ideas for platforms in which they could spread information about an intended policy.

I am a teacher at Language Virtual, an organization that allows children without access to English learning resources to learn for free from a high school volunteer. This opportunity helped me learn more about how to perfect topics before I explained them to others, and I enjoy helping others to be more comfortable where they are.

As a part of the Student Government, I plan events for fundraising/spirit with the officers, communicate with students and teachers, organize meetings, and document information. We planned fun events like the Semi Formal, Karaoke Night, and Pizza Fridays last year! Stay tuned for our upcoming Prom!

I currently participate in Worcester Polytechnic Institute's FIRST robotics team (190). Mass Academy Students work with WPI student and faculty mentors to learn the ins and outs of robot design while developing a sense of teamwork and leadership. Check out the details of the 2023 season's FIRST game here. While preparing for the official season, our team competed in events such as Savage Soccer, a VEX competition. My team consisted of Jenny Shaughnessy and I. Here you can find a picture of our robot!

This year, we and our robot BrushFire participated in district events all over Massachusetts, and had the opportunity to participate in the World Championship in Houston!

Girls Who Code has played a big part in my life. During 2021-2022 I started a club at Ashland High School that is affiliated with Girls Who Code (GWC), a nonprofit organization that aims to encourage girls to explore computer science. Each week, I would run through and teach the club members, most of whom had never programmed before, a mini-lesson on a basic coding principle. We competed in coding competitions such as the October Challenge from GWC and Technovation Girls, submitting a working app prototype, business proposal, pitch video, and demo video. You can find the demo video here.

I was also a part of the Girls Who Code Summer Immersion program in 2022. The Girls Who Code SIP fostered a sense of sisterhood and community as we explored outreach and awareness through technology. Our final projects included a website built on Replit that required our knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. My group was sponsored by and collaborated with the Ford Motor Company to discuss computer science principles, meet women in the computer science field, and discuss career options in STEM.

I have been learning to play the piano for six years now. I take a weekly piano class where I prepare for exams given by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. Last year, I passed the final grade eight exam, and two years ago I took the music theory exam, passing with a distinction. Here is a link to the school: The Real School of Music. Piano has always been my outlet to express myself, whether I play complicated exam pieces or Disney show themes, and it will forever be one of the constants in my life. I was also the choral piano accompanist in my old school, and played for our pep rally and graduation, as well as the seasonal concerts.

I compete at math competitions such as the Worcester County Mathematics League (WOCOMAL), New England Mathematics League (NEML), and Massachusetts Mathematics League (MAML). I have received a top scorer award for WOCOMAL.

I am a member of one of Mass Academy’s Cyberpatriot teams. Cyberpatriot is a remote competition that aims to spread awareness about cybersecurity through its interactive test images that replicate real-life scenarios. My team, consisting of Donovan Sappet, Tarun Eswar, Thomas Park, and Shuling Lin advanced to the Semifinal round in the Gold Division!

This year, I am competing with Jennifer Shaughnessy, Shuling Lin, Megan Ashun, and Palak Yadav.

I have been taking taekwondo classes since eighth grade, and am now a red belt. I will take my black belt test some time next year. Taekwondo not only introduced me to Korean martial arts but also emphasized the importance of being alert, fit, and deliberate. I enjoy learning forms and sparring with my peers.