Sara Barakat is a rising sophomore at University High School in Irvine, California. Her enthusiasm for all science-related studies has provided her with a new interest in scientific storytelling. Sara is heavily involved in her school’s science Gray Matter, Biology, Astronomy, and Science clubs. She is a dedicated leader in science literacy, using her charisma and team-building spirit to connect her school with scientific and non-scientific topics. Whether she is mentoring new students, playing lacrosse with her team, or leading a robotics program, Sara’s skills of communication and effective leadership have made her a force to be reckoned with.

Roberto Bailey is a rising sophomore student attending Hunter College high school and is ecstatic to be part of the Curious Science Writers team this year. By using his journalism and science skills, he is working toward making scientific articles more accessible to the general public. His great communication skills allowed him to be the champion of his debate team at his school and further push his global presence by learning the Spanish language. As someone gifted at understanding scientific principles, Roberto was accepted as part of his school’s scientific research seminar. Outside of school, Roberto enjoys writing poetry, reading various books, and watching Netflix in his free time.

Christine Chen is a rising sophomore at Hunter College High School in New York. She joined Curious Science Writers because of her deep interests in science and writing, and her passion to promote science literacy for the public. She won the National Gold Award for the Scholastic Arts Competition, and her hobbies are drawing and watching Netflix.

Aarush Dixit is a rising sophomore at Green Level High School in Cary, North Carolina. He joined cSw because of his desire to improve his writing skills and learn about the scientific process. He is VP of the TEDx club at his school, and plans to use communication skills learned at cSw to further spread scientific literacy in his area. Some of his hobbies include playing and watching basketball, swimming for club and school, and volunteering at his local court of law. His topic for the 2023-2024 cSw program is Seychelles warblers and their relation to good health and aging.

Chloe Eng will be a sophomore at Manhasset High School in Long Island, New York and is fascinated by the world of reading and storytelling. Other than reading, Chloe is interested in skin care and fashion (her fashion sense is a mix of all decades and she loves experimenting with different styles). Journalism is one of Chloe’s biggest interests in school and is the reason why she joined cSw! She is looking forward to bridging the gap between science and journalism as she continues on her journey through Curious Science Writers.

Amber Fei a rising senior living in New Providence, attends Union County Magnet High School. Passionate about biomedical engineering and eager to promote science literacy, Amber is excited to improve her writing and communication skills through cSw. This summer, she is an intern at Oertel Orthopedics, a specialized brace and prosthetics company. As an active member of her community, Amber plays volleyball, is Sergeant-at-Arms of her marching band where she plays clarinet and is co-president of her FBLA chapter. In her free time, Amber enjoys playing with her dog, spending time with friends and family, and adding to her mineral collection.

Ashwin Gopalaswami is a rising senior at Poolesville High School in Maryland, where his favorite subjects are math and art history. When he’s not in school, you can find him running for his cross-country team or cycling at his favorite park. He also enjoys reading books like Lord of the Rings and attempted to write his own science-fiction novel. Ashwin joined Curious Science Writers because he enjoys learning about science, and wants to help translate topics for the general public. This summer, he will be researching and writing about fruit flies and memory disorders.

Jordan Henton, a rising junior at Alexandria City High School in Virginia, is excited to be a member of Curious Science Writers! He joined the program to improve science literacy by making scientific articles more accessible to the public. When he’s not writing about science, Jordan loves to play ultimate frisbee and videogames or hang out with his dog, Prince. He is looking forward to exploring his interests in science and writing this year!

Melia Hillman is a junior scholar in Caldwell, New Jersey with a pronounced passion for theater, and devotedness to endorsing her school community through student council, and mentorship for younger classmen. Melia is captivated by the study of humanities, reading, and writing, and she enjoys spending her time by the ocean, which inspired her to research sea anemones at cSw. Melia’s dedication, leadership, and curiosity led her to the cSw program.

Chloe Kohl is a rising junior at Byram Hills High School in New York. She enjoys reading and playing the piano in her free time, and she writes a science column in her school’s paper. Already a crucial part of her school’s research program to study bioprinting, Chloe joined Curious Science Writers this year as a way to further fuel her passion for science research and utilize her writing skills in spreading science literacy to a wider audience.

Madeleine Moon-Chun is a rising sophomore at The Paideia School in Atlanta, Georgia. Both an athlete and an avid reader, Madeleine can typically be found either engrossed in a novel or breaking a sweat on a run. Curious Science Writers appealed to Madeleine due to her love of both writing and science. She notices that many only see the differences between the sciences and humanities without acknowledging their similarities, an observation that she wishes to change. A Scholastic-winning writer, Madeleine is looking forward to starting her first article and further developing her skills within science communications.

Katherine Mi is a rising junior at Ridge High School in New Jersey. As a writer of cSw, she looks forward to promoting scientific literacy to improve public health while improving her writing capabilities. At school, she is the community outreach officer of the Biomedical Engineering Club and is on the executive board of the Business Club. Involved in her community, Katherine coaches a middle school volleyball team and works as a lifeguard and swim instructor. EMT certified, she is also a Cadet at the Berkeley Heights Volunteer Rescue Squad. With free time, she loves to try new things and spend time with her friends, family, and her dog, Butter.

Ranbir Narula is a rising junior at Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland. Ranbir is a board game enthusiast and has a passion for chess. One of Ranbir’s defining achievements is earning first place at a regional tournament. Ranbir’s topic for the cSw program is on improving mental health through Virtual Reality.

Ellie Park is a rising sophomore, from University High School in Southern California. She They joined cSw after taking a journalism course at her school, which she really enjoyed. She is passionate about lacrosse and golf and is also interested in coding. She is learning Spanish in school and speaks Korean. She enjoys biology and is excited to pursue a job where she can travel (travel doctor, etc.).

Nora Pierce is a science writer this year, going into senior year at Montgomery Blair High School in Maryland. She joined Curious Science Writers because of her avid interest in science communication as well as her passion for journalism. She is a valued member of the school newspaper at her high school. In her spare time, she enjoys dancing, reading and traveling, especially to her favorite country Argentina.

Hradini Rahu, a Cali turned Texan gal passionate about science, especially biology (an organelle enthusiast!). When Hradini’s not exploring science or writing, she’s singing her heart out, both in and out of her school chorus. A cat lover and academic weapon in the National Honor Society, she’s putting together Y2k and ‘90 outfits on her Pinterest.

Shiv Shamdasani was born and brought up in New York. He is a rising senior and attends the Trinity School in New York City. His favorite subject is physics and he also enjoys history and computer science. Shiv is interested in science journalism and wants to find a disconnect between science and the general public by improving science literacy. After school, he may choose to major in either engineering or economics. His interests include soccer and debating. He is proud of his work ethic.

Vinayak Talwar has lived in Delhi, India, his whole life, but was born in Chandigarh, where his parents were vacationing. He attends SBS, and has started his senior year because his summer ended in March. Vinayak enjoys studying chemistry, and when he grows up, he wants to enter the medical field to become a doctor. Vinayak possesses a passion for taking a complicated idea and breaking it into simpler parts, which drove his desire to join Curious Science Writers and work on a biomedical article. Proud of his ability to multitask, Vinayak also plays basketball and cricket.

Kaveen Goswami is a sophomore attending Monta Vista Highschool, in Cupertino, California. He fell in love with exploring new, interesting parts of science that can be used to bettter help our community. Starting off with a NSS space competition he learned the process of research and how to truly understand a topic. He joined cSw to learn other aspects of science, mainly how to research a complex topic but still be able to phrase it in a easy to understand and friendly format. He is extremely excited to be able to use his writing skills to really convey important messeges to others. Outside of the program he is a competitive tennis player, and loves to play video games with his friends.es.

Sana Haidary is a senior attending the American Embassy School in New Delhi, India. Sana’s passion for English and Biology inspired her to join cSw as a writer. She strongly believes in the importance of science literacy. Fake scientific news can have significant consequences on public health, the environment, investment in research, and innovation. She believes in increasing science literacy, to equip people to assess the veracity of news they are accessing and question vested interests. In addition to science writing, Sana is an equestrian and partakes in show juping while also enjoying, reading, and listening to music.

Minhong Kim is a junior attending an international school in South Korea. Minhong’s love for biomedical science and writing inspired him to join cSw as a writer. In his free time, Minhong enjoys playing and coaching soccer, listening to Taylor Swift, and “chilling out.”

Rita Liu attends Newport High School in Bellevue, Washington. She joined cSw to hone her research abilities and further her writing passions. Rita is excited to pursue new research as a member of the program. Rita is an avid member of her school rocketry club that will be competing in London after winning the American Rocketry national competition. She is proud to be the club’s outreach manager, as well as being the only female on leadership. In her free time, Rita enjoys hiking with her dog, creating digital art portraits, and volunteering as a teacher’s assistant for a non-profit camp.

Jasmine Li Jasmine Li is a senior at Stanford Online High School, where she is editor-in-chief of the science magazine and editor of the school newspaper. Her interests in biochemistry, writing, and their intersection led her to join cSw, through which she is excited to improve her ability to communicate science. Outside of cSw, Jasmine spends her free time interning at an analytical chemistry lab, discussing and learning about philosophy, going out with her friends, and hiking..

Anthony Matejicka III is a senior at the Academy of Allied Health and Science in Neptune, New Jersey. He joined cSw because he would like to hone his communication skills through scientific research and writing. He sees communication as an essential part of society, which is why he hopes to educate himself and others. Outside of school, Anthony enjoys helping in his church. Throughout the pandemic, Anthony recorded and live streamed the mass readings to allow immunocompromised individuals to participate in the mass. Additionally, Anthony likes to spend his time in the gym, play baseball, and is an active participant as an Emergency Medical Services cadet to serve his community. He also competes in Taekwondo tournaments, winning Texas’s state championship in 2014.

Dinesh Oggu is a junior at North Atlanta High School in Atlanta, Georgia. He joined cSw because he wants to promote science literacy as he believes it has the potential to save someone’s life. In his free time, Dinesh enjoys playing many percussive instruments, reading, drawing, and taking photos. His photos have even been published in TeenInk, and he is especially proud about earning a 7/7 on his Middle Years Program Project, which is an entrance project for the International Baccalaureate program at his school.

Tara Prakash is a sophomore at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., where she is an editor of her school’s science journal. She joined cSw because she is passionate about writing and science, and she is eager to explain scientific concepts in an accessible way for a general audience. Tara believes that, while it is crucial to our lives, science has limited value if it is not understood. As a result, she is committed to promoting science literacy. Tara also loves creative writing, and her work has been published in literary journals and magazines. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys camping with her Scouts troop, playing soccer for her school’s varsity team, and hiking with her dog.

Priya Ravi is a senior at Wilcox High School in Santa Clara, California. Inspired at an early age, Priya strongly believes in the need for universal science literacy. As a result, she decided to become a part of the cSw team, merging her interests of writing and science. In addition to being a Curious Science Writer, Priya spends her free time playing guitar, cooking, and building her CD collection. Priya also has a passion for social justice, actively participating in local rallies and community organizations. Continuing her desire for helping others, she raised $1500 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to fund cancer research.

Alyaan Salman is a student at Memphis University School in Tennessee. With a passion for biomedical science, he saw CSW as a great opportunity to explore his interest in science in a way that promotes science literacy for the general public. Alyaan is proud of his Pakistani heritage and having celiac disease, the latter sparking his interest in medicine and outreach. As a celiac, he wants information about the disease to be accessible to the 80 million people affected by the condition, for he personally knows the hardships of celiacs. Beyond CSW, Alyaan has an abundance of certifications, including YouScience 21st century skills and OSHA Health Care. He also has engaged in a Leadership Academy at Hosa Internationals and was the State TJCL Secretary. He is particularly proud of his significant service involvement at his school and around his community. In his free time, Alyaan likes lifting, playing basketball and video games, and engaging in cultural activities.

Sofia Scartascini is a junior at McLean High School in McLean, Virginia, is an avid writer and activist, who is passionate about biomedical science, storytelling, and literature. In her free time, Sofia loves to listen to music, spend time in nature, and hang out with her friends. She also enjoys a good discussion fueled by the abundance of new scientific knowledge.

Alara Seeborg is a senior located in Houston, Texas, who is eager to develop her writing skills through integrating ecology and storytelling into her work. She loves all forms of art, from mixed media and collage to cinema and poetry. She strives to find a creative angle to any project that comes her way, no matter the subject. In her free time, you can find her catching a movie, listening to music, or spending time with family and friends.

Shaurya Sharma is a sophomore based in Apex, North Carolina. As a child, he developed a passion for science, which he believes is the key to solving problems and changing lives. On the other hand, the pursuit in science did not distinguish his passion in writing and contemporary social issues. Illiteracy has a negative impact on the world. That’s why Shaurya would like to spread literacy, especially science literacy, to the public. He already has experience writing, having published 3 books like Lightning Star and Operation World War III. Shaurya is also an avid reader in the areas of fantasy, science fiction, and cutting-edge medical issues. He also likes to draw and watch political dramas criticizing the current reality, such as: House of Cards and Designated Survivor.

Eason Yang is a junior based at Trinity College School, Ontario. Although his first year at the program, he had aspired towards promoting science literacy since a young age. He believes that one of the reasons why social issues persist to be part of the healthcare challenges is because people are not able to access reliable information sources, and he would like to do something about it. Outside of CsW, he is a passionate flutist and avid reader. Eason has a particular interest in Russian and social critic literature, which is part of where his interest in social issues stemmed from. He is also an active swimmer and Thai boxer.