Category: My Journey

  • A Sonata of Connection

    Summary: While volunteering at a senior living center, I encountered Inna, a former classical pianist from Ukraine whose life stories deeply resonated with me as a child of immigrants. Our conversations and a promise to perform Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata rekindled my passion for music and highlighted the importance of connecting with others across generations. ***…

  • Learning even as a teacher

    As I navigate my educational years, I’ve realized the trueness of the phrase “To teach is to learn twice over” (Joseph Joubert). I have had many incredible teachers and mentors who embody this mentality, inspiring me to do the same. You truly cannot teach without gaining a new understanding of the topic. The act itself…

  • Do High Schoolers Belong in the Research Lab? Part 2

    In my previous post, I explored the tension between resources and opportunity when research labs take on high school students. In this post, I will mainly focus on the value of experience and training the next generation of professionals. Beyond gaining the few lines on a resume, interning at a research lab instills in students…

  • Do High Schoolers Belong in the Research Lab? Part 1

    The centrifuge whirrs in the background as I click open the next raw data csv file, preparing to analyze another batch of flow cytometry data that a dismissed bioinformatician left behind. In the shared Box drive, there were scattered files, incomplete annotations, and months of hard work requiring resurrection. At sixteen, I found myself wondering,…

  • Student Visionaries DC: $2.2M Fundraising Success in 2025

    Wow, what a year! The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Student Visionaries of Washington DC raises nearly $2.2 million! In 2025, we grew our campaign by 8 teams, over $160,000 more in sponsorships, and 115% in revenue! It has been so exciting, and it would not have been possible without the support of leaders and volunteers…

  • A Young Scholar’s Perspective: American College of Cardiology Camp Cardiac

    I am honored to be selected as one of the 36 high school students to participate in the the 2024-2025 Young Scholars Program of the American College of Cardiology, a year-long educational and mentorship program that introduces young students to cardiovascular medicine. This past weekend, I attended Camp Cardiac in Washington, D.C., an annual ACC…