Class of 2026
Jack Gill is a junior in the Math, Science, and Technology Center at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, Kentucky. Jack has completed five year-long research projects as part of National History Day, qualifying for the national contest each time and receiving multiple national honors. His documentary, A Theory, A Paper, A Turning Point, won first place nationally in the Senior Individual Documentary division for its examination of Claude Shannon’s 1948 paper, “A Mathematical Theory of Communication,” which helped usher in the digital age by defining information mathematically. Jack earned a national finalist distinction in the JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest and is a two-time winner in the Kentucky Secretary of State Essay Contest.
Jack is interested in how information is interpreted in scientific and safety-critical contexts. His testing of a hydrochromic coating for wet-floor hazard detection earned a Best in Fair award at the Kentucky Science and Engineering Fair and led to his selection as a finalist at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. He is currently conducting bioinformatics research, analyzing large public datasets to identify patterns in complex biological data, under the mentorship of Dr. Hunter Moseley at the University of Kentucky. Jack was named Sophomore Student of the Year in his school’s selective STEM magnet program. He is a founding member of his school’s National History Day club and tutors students in academic subjects, chess, and cello. An accomplished cellist, Jack has been selected for Kentucky’s All-State Orchestra and performs with the Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra. He is also a varsity bowler, creates crossword puzzles, and leads community game sessions. Jack is the son of Scot Gill and Karen Vinning Gill.
Daphne Kalir-Starr is a junior at The College Preparatory School in Oakland, California. A national champion in Extemporaneous Speaking, Daphne has won several major competitions in this discipline, including the Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin and the Tournament of Champions. As of May 2026, she is the #1-ranked Extemporaneous Speaker in the U.S. by the National Speech and Debate Association, or NSDA. For several years, Daphne has taught a free lab for beginner Extemporaneous Speakers that has helped several novices climb to national success, and has led efforts to scale online public speaking tutorials to hundreds of other students around the country. Daphne serves on the national Student Leadership Council of the National Speech and Debate Association, working to help make speech and debate programming available in under-resourced communities. For these efforts, Daphne has been a repeat recipient of the NSDA’s Speaking and Service Award.
Daphne also enjoys writing and is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley’s Advanced Creative Writing Workshop, the Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop, and the Iowa Young Writers’ Studio. Daphne’s poems and essays have been published in venues such as the Kenyon Review Young Writers Anthology and The Rostrum. Daphne is a member of the Bronfman Fellowship’s 40th cohort, and reports she draws inspiration from President Coolidge’s quote, “No matter by what various crafts we came here, we are all now in the same boat.” Daphne is the daughter of Erez Kalir and Alexandra Starr.
Luke Patterson is a junior at Haddonfield Memorial High School in Haddonfield, New Jersey. For the past five years, Luke has been a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol, the civilian auxiliary of the Air Force, serving in roles at every level of the organization. For three consecutive years he has led New Jersey’s delegation at Civil Air Patrol’s National Legislative Day in Washington, D.C., meeting with senior congressional staff to discuss and advocate for the organization’s funding and programs. He is dedicated to the development of cadets, serving as the cadet commander of this year’s statewide summer training program and leading his local squadron. He has also chaired state-level cadet advisory councils and managed radio communications in support of search and rescue aircrew training for Civil Air Patrol’s National Emergency Services Academy.
At school, Luke is the historian of the Student Council, chapter president of the National Honor Society, and an editor of the school newspaper. Luke is a member of Haddonfield’s state champion cross-country and track teams, running year-round. He volunteers for his church as an altar server and in ministries that provide food to people in need in Camden, New Jersey. Luke is the son of John and Ellen Patterson.
Elizabeth Shen is a junior at Jesuit High School in Portland, Oregon. Interested in computational and applied mathematical research, she has been recognized as a Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair Finalist and Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge Top 30 Finalist. Building on her previous work in hearing-aid signal processing, she will research neural-auditory models at the Oregon Health & Science University this summer. In addition, Elizabeth is a U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Qualifier and has earned state Science Olympiad medals. At her school, she leads the science research club and has worked as a calculus teaching assistant and writing fellow.
Elizabeth finds joy in communicating ideas through teaching and the arts. She is the founder and director of Mission Mitosis, a local volunteering program that has delivered weekly STEM seminars in partnership with underserved schools since 2023. A monthly Oregon Mensa columnist and editor of her school’s literary magazine, Elizabeth has won Scholastic Art & Writing and John Locke Global Essay awards. Beyond academics, Elizabeth plays classical piano and violin. As a pianist, she is a two-time state winner of the Music Teachers National Association Competition and has received prizes from the OPUS National Competition and Bellagrande International Music Competition. Through violin, she has served as co-concertmaster of Oregon’s Metropolitan Youth Symphony. She enjoys sharing music at concert halls, community centers, and assisted living homes. Elizabeth is the daughter of Kuan-Yueh Shen and Su-Wei Huang.
Shaleen Sheth is a junior from River Edge, New Jersey, who attends Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut. Interested in American civic engagement, Shaleen has interned with the Wallingford Republican Town Committee since her freshman year, helping coordinate youth outreach initiatives in collaboration with her school’s Young Republicans chapter, where she serves as president. She has written on political and civic topics for various of her school’s periodicals and serves as a senior editor of Horizons, a humanities publication, which features scholarly essays on the liberal arts. Shaleen also leads her school’s Veterans Support Group, volunteering through House of Heroes and at local cemeteries and nursing homes. This commitment to service has shaped her aspiration to participate in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) in college and ultimately pursue a career in public service.
At school, Shaleen has organized student discussion groups centered on religion and ethics. She volunteers frequently with local food distribution efforts through the faith-based organization Loaves and Fishes. After an internship with the organization Amar Dragoste, she was inspired to explore how Christianity informs modern social issues, and has analyzed and written about the relationship between faith and public policy. In addition, she has tutored students in geometry, physics, Spanish, and writing. A saxophonist of seven years, Shaleen performs with her school’s jazz ensemble and enjoys playing harmonica in her free time. She competes on her school’s varsity track team and pursues sports photography as a hobby. Shaleen is the daughter of Sumita Manral and Daniel Sheth.
Class of 2025
Cooper Beckmann is a senior at St. Croix Preparatory Academy in Stillwater, Minnesota. Interested in financial education, he has volunteered for two years at Prepare and Prosper in St. Paul, a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Site for low-income customers. This experience inspired Cooper to publish Kai’s Lemonade Stand, a children’s financial education book designed to introduce young readers to economic fundamentals. He currently interns at the Minnesota Council for Economic Education, where he researches financial education curriculum implementation across Minnesota high schools. Like President Coolidge, Cooper recognizes the importance of teachers. He analyzed trends in teacher salary data to model disparities in teacher pay between public and charter schools. His research insights informed school board and administrative decision-making regarding teacher compensation.
Cooper is an instructor at Mathnasium, where he teaches mathematical reasoning and technical skills to students. As a member of the Washington County Mental Health Council, he works to offer mental health resources to local students. At school, he actively participates in math league, calculus club, history club, and is a National Honor Society chair. He has been honored with the Social Studies Student Award twice and the Sigma Award for mathematics excellence. Captain of both his school’s varsity basketball and varsity golf teams, Cooper has been playing varsity golf since seventh grade and varsity basketball since ninth grade, earning nine varsity letters, including one in service. The oldest of five children, Cooper is the son of Marc and Nicole Beckmann.
Mary Kauffman is a senior at Regent Preparatory School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A lover of the Classics, Mary has served as president of the Oklahoma Junior Classical League and is a founding member of her school’s Latin and Greek clubs. She received the CAMWS International Translation Contest’s top prize in the intermediate and advanced translation categories, and the National Latin Exam Committee has recognized her for receiving five perfect scores. Mary also earned a perfect score on the National Greek Exam, and in 2021 she was a Scripps National Spelling Bee quarterfinalist. She is a co-captain of her academic bowl team, which she helped lead to a state championship. She is a member of her school’s speech and debate team and was state runner-up in Public Forum Debate. Mary ran with her cross-country team to win a state championship in 2023. An Irish dancer, she was the runner-up in Traditional Set at the Southern Region Oireachtas. An accomplished clarinetist, she has garnered numerous awards while also tutoring beginning clarinet students at her school.
With her sister, Mary founded a summer camp for grade school students and helped to establish a Sunday school program at her church, for which she teaches regularly. One of her favorite activities is serving at Camp Araminta, a church youth camp. She also enjoys folk-dancing, embroidery, and singing in the choir. Mary is the daughter of Chris and Christina Kauffman.
Julianna Jones of Fayetteville, North Carolina, is a senior at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Her interest in diabetes awareness and engineering was sparked when she worked as a Residential Diabetes Camp Counselor, caring for diabetic youth. Through her school’s Research in Physics program, she is developing a novel insulin delivery device designed to last longer than currently available insulin pumps. She developed and teaches a course on diabetes pathophysiology and biomedical engineering at her school. As a Duke LeadWISER Scholar, Julianna launched a holistic initiative to increase public understanding of diabetes, including an educational blog, poster campaign, a Soul-Food inspired diabetes-friendly cookbook, and guidebook for newly diagnosed diabetic children. Julianna hopes to create her own biomedical engineering company to develop interdisciplinary medical solutions and education for chronic disease patients.
Julianna works to advance STEM education, especially through Project STEMkits, an initiative that provides free hands-on STEM learning opportunities to younger students. She has also researched AI applications for skin disorder detection in people of color. At her school, Julianna serves as a teaching assistant. An avid musician, Julianna is the principal cellist at her school and enjoys composing original music. She has performed in North Carolina’s Eastern Regional Orchestra and at North Carolina’s Governor’s School. She volunteers with her local children’s orchestra and performs for dementia patients at local nursing homes. Julianna is the daughter of Connette McMahon and Michael Jones.
Ulyana Kubini is a senior at Fox Chapel Area High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Born to a Ukrainian-American immigrant family, Ulyana was inspired to begin advocating the principles of liberty and individual rights following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Her articles have been published by the Foundation for Economic Education, Real Clear Politics, and the Mises Institute. She is currently the Director of International Relations for the Mtindo Network, a free market think tank based in Uganda. In this role, she has contributed to Mtindo’s efforts to distribute liberty-themed books in seven African countries. Ulyana has been recognized as a Ben Carson Scholar and a recipient of the Horatio Alger Prize for Distinguished Americans. She was also selected as a Bank of America Student Leader.
Ulyana founded Mezzno, an e-commerce nutrition platform she modeled after Ukrainian bazaars. The site has onboarded over a dozen artisan food makers across the globe. She is a student researcher in ophthalmic microbiology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Vision Institute. Previously, she was a writer for HIGH5, a personality testing website, where she contributed articles on psychology and neuroscience. She serves as president of Fox Chapel’s Technology Student Association, and previously served as director of Speech for Fox Chapel Forensics. Ulyana is the daughter of Valeriya Kubini and granddaughter of Agna Rudenko.
Paul Mackay is a senior from Redmond, Washington, boarding at Dollar Academy in Scotland, where he is Head Boy of the school and Pipe Major of the seven-time world champion Dollar Academy Juvenile Pipe Band. He moved to Scotland from Seattle’s Lakeside School on a piping scholarship, having won the U.S. Solo Bagpiping Championship (21-and-under) at age 15. He enjoys studying Latin, literature, philosophy, and math. He has achieved the highest mark in Scotland on the nationwide Latin exam twice, received a High Commendation in the Scottish Schools’ Young Writer of the Year Award, and obtained a Gold award in the UK Maths Trust’s Senior Maths Challenge. Paul was also awarded joint-second place out of over 700 entries in the Julia Wood History Essay Competition hosted by St. Hugh’s College, Oxford for his dissertation on the growth of large agricultural estates at the end of the Roman Republic.
Paul is a keen debater, competing in various formats, and most recently winning the Grand Final at the University of St. Andrews Debating Union Schools’ Competition. As an extension of his interest in public policy, Paul has written and edited for his schools’ newspapers since sixth grade and now serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Galley, Dollar Academy’s student magazine. A multi-year member of MyFLY, a student-led nonprofit offering financial literacy education, Paul has served as its president for nearly three years and helped expand its reach to eight countries. During his school breaks, Paul has traveled to the rural Philippines with his family to deliver workshops for microfinance borrowers. He enjoys running, cooking, tutoring, and composing music. He volunteers as both a soloist and band member, piping at senior homes, veterans’ events, fundraisers, and public ceremonies. Paul is the son of Anna Lea Mackay-Mejia and John Mackay.
Class of 2024
Carson Collins – Austin, Texas
Carson Collins is a freshman at Yale College. From Austin Texas, in high school Carson pursued a homeschool curriculum while dual-enrolled at Austin Community College. He recieved an Associate of Arts Degree in Radio-Television-Film from Austin Community College. He has written, filmed, and produced multiple short documentaries on America’s founding principles that have received awards in national video competitions, including C-SPAN’s StudentCam, Constituting America’s We the Future, and Stossel in the Classroom. He is interested in politics and public policy and debates constitutional issues through the YMCA Youth and Government Appellate Court program. In 2023, he placed second at the National Judicial Conference. Carson was named a Top Attorney at the Texas High School Mock Trial Competition and has won several regional and national writing competitions.
Because of his interest in film, Carson created volunteer videos for the YMCA and the Audubon Society to publicize their work. He has also volunteered 500 hours inspecting, cleaning, and sorting food at the Central Texas Food Bank Product Recovery Warehouse. Carson is an Eagle Scout and has received the Congressional Award Silver Medal. He is a competitive rower for the Texas Rowing Center. He placed first in the Under-17 Men’s Double at the 2022 USRowing Youth National Championship and placed third in the Under-19 Men’s Quad at the 2023 USRowing Youth National Championship. He also teaches teens and adults how to row and assists with corporate leadership events. Carson enjoys chess, jiu-jitsu, and ultra-marathons. He is the son of Kevin Collins and Shannon Lamm.
Jonathan Dorminy – McDonough, Georgia
Jonathan Dorminy is a freshman at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is from McDonough, Georgia and pursued a homeschool curriculum in high school. Fascinated by radio from an early age, he enjoys researching radio history and modern developments in radio science. Jonathan’s research on the impact of radio throughout history has won second and third-place medals in the National History Day competition. He has qualified three times for the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) with communication-related projects. Last year at ISEF, he won awards from Qorvo Technologies, TÜBİTAK, and a scholarship from MS&T. Through his research experience, Jonathan became an associate member of Sigma Xi. He is a recipient of the Rookie of the Year award from the 3905 Century Amateur Radio Club for his volunteer efforts as a net controller.
Jonathan has many other interests beyond radio. His engineering team from Soli Deo Gloria Home Education Foundation has twice qualified for the Technology Students Association TEAMS national competition after back-to-back state championship victories in Georgia. In addition, Jonathan leads 4-H clubs and runs with the Clover Glove racing series, raising funds for scholarships and camps for youth. He is a three-time Georgia champion in the 4-H Shooting Sports Quiz bowl. Last year, Jonathan experienced hands-on exposure to mining and explosives at the Missouri Science and Technology Explosives and Mining Engineering camp. He will participate in the Beaver Works Summer Institute at MIT this year. Jonathan’s hobbies include amateur radio, hunting, fishing, and running. He is the youngest of six children raised on a farm by John and Ann Dorminy.
James Dover – Belmont, North Carolina
James Dover is a freshman at Yale College. He is a graduate of South Point High School in Belmont, North Carolina, and the North Carolina School of Science and Math online program. Diagnosed with profound single-sided deafness at birth, James shares in common with Grace Coolidge a commitment to the Deaf community. James founded the only Junior National Association of the Deaf chapter in North Carolina and serves as a mentor for Beginnings for Parents of Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, Inc. Appointed a youth advisory team leader for the Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center, he designs projects and programs to allow parents of disabled children to implement individualized education programs and 504 plans within North Carolina school systems. He was selected by the Alexander Graham Bell Foundation to attend their leadership conference at Georgetown University and to serve as a national panelist for their parent support sessions. He is the youngest invited member of the Consumer Advocacy Network for the American Cochlear Implant Alliance, a public policy initiative to advance access to cochlear implants through research, advocacy, and awareness.
James is an avid tennis player. As a member of Charlotte’s Olde Providence Tennis Academy, he has amassed over 35 first- and second-place finishes in USTA tournaments in singles and doubles, is the first person in his school’s history to be named All-State in tennis, and led his high school team to its first ever state championship. Together with his brothers, James established the Belmont chapter of Abilities Tennis, an organization that provides tennis clinics to individuals with intellectual disabilities. In recognition of this work, the Dover family was honored with the Blount and Dargan M. Williams USTA of North Carolina Family of the Year Award. He is an active volunteer for Wheel Serve NC, promoting wheelchair tennis, as well as the United Tennis Organization, advancing accessibility of the sport in North Carolina. Outside of tennis, James was a quarterfinalist in the 2019 and 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee. He coached his younger brother Rex to the Spelling Bee quarterfinals the very next year. James is the son of Stanley and Amy Dover.
Sidney Lin – Forest Hills, New York
Sidney Lin is a freshman at Brown University. She is a graduate of The Bronx High School of Science in Bronx, New York. Sidney has conducted stem cell research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, helping to verify a new high-efficiency protocol to chemically reprogram adult human somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells using small molecules. Sidney has also performed stroke data research, studying relationships between time, angiographic, and perfusion variables that may help streamline treatment decision-making. These results were published in multiple categories at the 2024 International Stroke Conference where Sidney was the youngest presenter. Recognizing the burgeoning use of artificial intelligence in biology and medicine, she is now delving into machine learning and neural networks at the MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute Medlytics Program.
Inspired by her grandmother’s battle with cerebrovascular disease, Sidney is committed to advancing stroke awareness, especially in underserved communities. As a junior member of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, she has collaborated with New York Presbyterian Queens to educate local residents on the signs and symptoms of acute stroke. Sidney also volunteers with the Ronald McDonald House to help support families traveling to New York City for medical treatments of pediatric cancers and other serious illnesses.
A varsity member of Bronx Science’s top-ranked speech and debate team, Sidney is a two-time champion in declamation and original oratory in the New York Catholic Forensics League and has competed in several national tournaments. She is also the spotlight editor for The Science Survey, Bronx Science’s online newspaper. She has enjoyed writing articles on a wide range of topics from the Queens night market to the cultural rebirth of the city of Berlin. Sidney is the daughter of Christine Chong and Ke Lin.
Akilan Sankaran – Albuquerque, New Mexico
Akilan Sankaran is a freshman at Havard College. He graudate of Albuquerque Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico. An avid mathematician, Akilan has conducted extensive research in both pure and applied mathematics. His investigations in number theory and computational chemistry were recognized at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, where he won the first prize grand award in both the Mathematics and Chemistry categories. Akilan’s research has also been awarded the Broadcom MASTERS Samueli Foundation Prize. He is a Spirit of Ramanujan fellow, a two-time national gold medal winner in the USA Mathematics Talent Search, and the winner of the Steven H. Strogatz Prize for Mathematics Communication for his expository Twitter threads. He plans to extend his research at MIT’s Research Science Institute.
Akilan is a classical pianist, and was invited to attend the Cliburn Junior Piano Competition and Festival, as well as the Verbier Festival. He performed in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and has performed several concerti with professional orchestras. Akilan is a winner of the Music Teachers’ National Association New Mexico Senior Competition, a two-time recipient of the Royal Conservatory of Music National Gold Medal, and the winner of the Jackie McGehee Concerto Competition.
Akilan competes in cross country, and serves as a captain of his high school’s team. He volunteers in his community and has established initiatives to foster curiosity in mathematics and music among younger students. As a class officer and a leader on the Student Wellness Advisory Board at his school, he has organized efforts to foster mental health awareness. Akilan also enjoys contributing to his school newspaper and debating in the Public Forum format. He is the son of Sivasankaran Rajamanickam and Sridevi Kumaravelu.
Class of 2023
Matthew Califano is a sophomore at Yale College. He is a graduate of Craftsbury Academy in Craftsbury Common, Vermont. Matthew was named a 2023 Vermont Presidential Scholar in the Arts and has won numerous awards for his writing, including first prize in the Dorset Theatre Festival Young Playwrights Competition, the Scholastic National Medal, and the NCTE Achievement Award in Writing First Class. Matthew is particularly interested in the lessons to be learned from the legal and economic policies of the ancient world. He is a member of the National Junior Classical League’s (NJCL) Latin and Greek Honor Societies and has won multiple gold medals on each of NJCL’s exams on National Roman Civilization, Hellenic Civilization, Classical Etymology, Latin Vocabulary, and Mythology. He is also a four-time National Latin Exam gold medalist and is a recipient of the Lillie B. Hamilton Award for the highest ranking student at NJCL’s annual convention.
Matthew serves as a teacher’s assistant for his school’s freshman English courses and volunteers with the Vermont Institute of Natural Science. He serves as a mentor for Americorps’ DREAM Program and as a member of its Vermont Advisory Board. He has received the President’s Volunteer Service Award gold medal, the Congressional Award’s bronze medal, a Daughters of the American Revolution Youth Citizenship Award, and the University of Vermont’s Citizen-Scholar Book Award. Matthew has won multiple cross country and track state championships in Vermont and recently qualified for the 2024 New York City Marathon. In addition, he has won gold medals for track at the AAU/USATF National Championships and in rowing at the US Rowing Indoor Nationals. Matthew is the son of Dr. Anca Rosca and Richard Califano.
Kendall Gee is a sophomore at Stanford University. She is a graduate of Lebanon Trail High School in Frisco, Texas. Kendall’s interest in policy and government led her to work as a project coordinator for the Institute for Youth in Policy and serve as a student attorney on the Collin County Teen Court, where she has helped more than 250 teens. In addition, she dedicates time to the Local Good Center, where she teaches classes to those seeking citizenship, and was selected for the Congressional Youth Advisory Council.
Kendall enjoys pursuing interests in both history and business. She is a Citizen Bee State Champion, a two-time qualifier for the National U.S. History Bee, a runner-up in the RoundPier Investment Competition, and a DECA International Champion in Marketing Management Team Decision Making. In her community, Kendall has served as her Scouts BSA troop’s senior patrol leader and participated in the MENA-USA Empowering Resilient Girls Exchange. She has also been recognized as a Congressional Gold Medalist, a Dallas/Fort Worth World Affairs Council 20 Under 20 honoree, and a President’s Volunteer Service Gold Award recipient. Kendall founded a chapter of the Junior World Affairs Council at her school. Her chapter packed nearly 10,000 meals for people in Ukraine and Guatemala. She is the senior vice president of the orchestra, the president of National Honor Society, and the mascot on the varsity cheerleading team. Kendall is the daughter of Jennifer and Brian Gee.
Griffin Hon is a sophomore at Princeton University. He is a graduate of Syosset High School in Syosset, New York. Griffin has conducted biomedical research at SUNY Old Westbury, where his work revealed pro-cancer effects of cephalexin, a common antibiotic. His research has received recognition, including the second place award in Biomedical and Health Sciences from the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair, the first place Grand Award at the Long Island Science & Engineering Fair, and first place at the NSPC Health Science Competition. He is a Partner for the Future at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Griffin enjoys communicating ideas in science and diplomacy. He was named the international winner of the Steven H. Strogatz Prize for Math Communication for his short-form videos explaining mathematics concepts. His writings on trends in metascience have won Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, including a Gold Key. He contributes and directs blog content about the UN Development Goals for Next Generation Diplomacy.
Griffin is the founder and president of the HOSA – Future Health Professionals chapter at his school and a two-time state champion in the Medical Math and Pathophysiology events. A trivia competitor, Griffin was the National Science Bee Second Place Champion and a Top Six Finalist in the US Academic Bee. He captained his school’s Quiz Bowl team to place first in Long Island. He organizes local donation drives for hospitals and nursing homes, provides weekly English lessons to a student in Ukraine through ENGin, and volunteers at his local library. Griffin serves as an international Student Ambassador for Smile Train and is a Long Island Young Scholar of Mathematics. Griffin participated in the Davidson THINK Institute, the Johns Hopkins Study of Exceptional Talent, and the Columbia University Science Honors Program. Griffin is the son of Mabel and Justin Hon.
John McPhie is a freshman at Harvard College. He is a graduate of University High School in Irvine, California. He serves as drum major of the marching band and plays tuba in the wind symphony. A classically-trained pianist, John has won prizes in several competitions. John also studies organ, sings with Millennial Choirs and Orchestras, and performs with his school’s ComedySportz improv troupe.
John served as president of his school’s chapter of the Junior Classical League. He captained the first place Certamen team in California three years in a row and earned two gold medals on the National Latin Exam. An avid Boy Scout, John has staffed multiple National Youth Leadership Training courses as well as Philmont’s National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience. For his Eagle project, John led a variety of projects to benefit our deployed troops, first responders, and veterans. John enjoys the outdoors and has also done extensive habitat restoration work. John’s birdwatching field notebooks have been featured in the American Birding Association’s Birding magazine. John is an active member of his church youth group and the city of Irvine’s Youth Action Team. He has volunteered at assisted living facilities, disability centers, food banks, and homeless shelters. John enjoys studying philosophy as a high school fellow with the Witherspoon Institute. He is the son of Erin and David McPhie.
Eric Zou is a sophomore at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is a graduate of BASIS Shavano in San Antonio, Texas. His favorite area of study is physics, and he has competed in the USA Physics Olympiad for several years, earning Bronze and Silver Medals in 2022 and 2023, respectively. In addition, he is the captain of his school’s Science Bowl team and led the team to a top 16 finish at the 2023 National Finals. Eric is also a researcher who has spent several years investigating photoacoustics, placing third in Embedded Systems at the 2022 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair for his work. He is an Associate Member of Sigma Xi, a Carson Scholar, and an American Invitational Mathematics Examination Qualifier with AMC Distinction.
Eric is committed to the advancement of children’s education and is involved in a variety of organizations that work toward that end. He has tutored with San Antonio Math Include since its founding, teaching subjects from competition math to physics to computer science. For two years, he has also been the Director of Development for the San Antonio Book Pool, an organization that delivers books to underserved communities. Moved by his experiences as an officer in his school’s chapters of Mu Alpha Theta and Science National Honor Society, he aspires to become a scientific communicator encouraging the next generation of scientific trailblazers. Eric is the son of Xiaoming Bao and Jun Zou.
Class of 2022
Hannah Guan is a junior at Harvard College. She is a graduate of Basis Shavano in San Antonio, Texas. Hannah enjoys studying math and participates in the USA Mathematical Olympiad, the USA Physics Olympiad, and the USA Computing Olympiad in the Gold Division. She was named an AMC 12A Young Women in Mathematics winner and a NCWIT Aspirations in Computing national winner. She is a Spirit of Ramanujan fellow, a World Science Scholar, and a Carson Scholar.
Hannah has research experience in the interdisciplinary fields of statistics, artificial intelligence, and genomics. She uses statistical models and machine learning algorithms to conduct genetic studies on aging and age-related diseases. Her research has received numerous awards, including: recognition on the Broadcom MASTERS Top 30 list, the fourth place prize in Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair’s Computational Biology and Bioinformatics category, the 2nd Special Award of the American Statistical Association, and MAA’s Outstanding Undergraduate Presentation Award. Like President Coolidge, Hannah devotes time to public service. She founded San Antonio Math Include, an organization that offers free classes and summer camps for students in grades K-12. Hannah is the daughter of Yu Zhang and Weihua Guan.
Elizabeth Shaffer is a junior at Carnegie Mellon University. She is a graduate of Pine-Richland High School in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. She is interested in studying engineering along with the humanities to bring a unique approach to public policy. To share her love of engineering and history, Elizabeth designed and directed “Crossing the Rhine with Caesar,” a workshop teaching middle school students bridge engineering principles in the context of ancient Roman history. Elizabeth has also participated in Pennsylvania’s Technology Student Association Teams Engineering competition.
To pursue her interest in public policy, Elizabeth completed the Hillsdale College online course, “Public Policy from a Constitutional Viewpoint.” She was selected to participate in the Miracle in Rwanda Global Classroom, a virtual, international student workshop focusing on the causes of genocide. Elizabeth is a member of the National Honor Society and served as captain of her school’s Hometown High-Q team. As a leader in her community, Elizabeth volunteers in the children’s programs at her church and Teen Leadership Project, a mission outreach fostering team building and community service. Elizabeth has been a competitive year-round swimmer for nine years. She was elected captain of her varsity swim team and competes on her club team at USA Swimming Sectional and Zone meets. Elizabeth enjoys volunteering as a swim instructor to young children and working as a lifeguard. She is the daughter of Jeremy and Stacey Shaffer.
Warren Shepherd is a junior at Princeton University. Warren is from from Evans, Georgia where he pursued a homeschool education and took courses at Augusta University. Interested in engineering and housing development, Warren recently completed an internship with a civil and structural engineering firm. He plans to work this summer for a local home renovator.
Active in academic competitions, Warren was the Ubuntu specialist of his CyberPatriot team. The team placed third in Georgia, garnering special commendation by the National Security Agency. Warren has won awards in physics, codebreaking, civil engineering, and rocketry in Science Olympiad, as well as individual and team awards in collegiate math tournaments. Captain of a state champion cross country team and state runner-up track team in the Georgia Association of Private and Parochial Schools, Warren has also won individual state titles in the 1600-meter, 800-meter, 4×400-meter relay, and pole vault. He was named high point individual at the state track and field championship. An officer in the National Honor Society and Beta Club, Warren has been the leader of local trail upkeep projects in conjunction with the Southern Off-Road Biking Association. He has volunteered with nursing homes, Golden Harvest Food Bank, Broad Street Ministries of Augusta, and children’s ministries. Warren participates in chorus and drama, performing in Fiddler on the Roof and The Music Man. He is the son of Scott and Sydney Shepherd.
Ellen Xu, is a junior at Stanford University. She is a graduate of Del Norte High School. Inspired by her younger sister, who had Kawasaki disease, Ellen conducted research at the University of California San Diego Kawasaki Disease Research Center / Rady Children’s Hospital. She helped to develop a deep learning algorithm for the early diagnosis of Kawasaki Disease. She has presented her findings at the triennial International Kawasaki Disease Symposium in Tokyo, Scripps Research Symposium, and multiple other scientific conferences. Ellen has been inducted into Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society and was honored as a Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair Grand Award Third Place winner. She volunteers with the Kawasaki Disease Foundation and the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair.
Through Zipline Theory, an organization she started, Ellen has led a cybersecurity program for girls of military families. She has received the National Center for Women in Technology Impact Award, the George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award, and her team was crowned the CyberPatriot National Champion by the Air Force Association in 2021. As a competitive saber fencer, Ellen represented the USA at the Romania Fencing World Cup, winning 5th place individually for her age group, and captained the Junior Olympic silver medalist team in 2020. Ellen has served as Co-Editor in Chief of The Featheralist, a student publication at her high school. Ellen is the daughter of Lin Jiang and Hao Xu.
Himani Yarlagadda is a junior at Harvard College. She is a graduate of Detroit Country Day Upper School. Himani is an AP Scholar with Distinction and an inductee into her school’s Cum Laude Society. She is interested in the interdependency between the health sciences and mathematics, with a special interest in allergies. She was named in the honors list for the US National Chemistry Olympiad and conducts research on denaturing food allergens via chemical and physical means. She hopes to broaden the flexibility of those who suffer from severe allergies. Himani is a four-time American Invitational Mathematics Examination qualifier and is the president of the math club at the Indus Center for Academic Excellence. She enjoys her study of Latin, receiving Summa Cum Laude twice on the National Latin Exam. She competes in Model United Nations and is a two-time State Champion in Epidemiology at HOSA.
Himani is involved in several education-related initiatives for younger students. She is the founder of the Root 4 Girls math club at her local middle school; coaches the middle school Science Olympiad Disease Detectives team; tutors at her high school, and co-runs MEMO—a local elementary and middle school math competition. She also enjoys her time at the Friendship Circle, a nonprofit organization for children with special needs. In her free time, she enjoys writing poetry and playing the flute. Himani is the daughter of Raghu and Vanaja Yarlagadda.