Business & Entrepreneurship
Community Service
Education
Engineering
Healthcare & Science
Media & Entertainment
Public Service & Social Justice
Sports & Fitness
Sustainability (Green)
Technology
Business & Entrepreneurship
GOLD - CAROL PEDROSA
Hometown: Guaynabo, PR
GPA: 4.00
High School: Colegio Mater Salvatoris High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Even from a young age, Carol had a passion for business. When she was just in seventh grade, she started her own baking business. She began with just a few products and clients and grew exponentially over the years. Without even knowing it, she had turned her hobby into a full-fledged business. When she made it to high school her entrepreneurial spirit led her to take courses in international business as well as a marketing bootcamp. Most recently she had a complex class project due which involved presenting in front of a panel of judges. Opportunities like these have continued to inspire Carol and provided her with a view into what it would be like to have a career in business and entrepreneurship.
In addition to her passion for business, she keeps a busy schedule by being Secretary of the National Honor Society. In her role she helps to prepare the meeting agendas, moderate discussions, and assist with the voting process. She has also been a dedicated tutor since 9th grade and loves being able to give back to others in her community in a positive way.
Carol maintains a 4.00 GPA, has applied to the University of South Carolina, Kansas State University, University of Texas at Austin where she plans to study business management and finance.
GPA: 4.00
High School: Colegio Mater Salvatoris High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Even from a young age, Carol had a passion for business. When she was just in seventh grade, she started her own baking business. She began with just a few products and clients and grew exponentially over the years. Without even knowing it, she had turned her hobby into a full-fledged business. When she made it to high school her entrepreneurial spirit led her to take courses in international business as well as a marketing bootcamp. Most recently she had a complex class project due which involved presenting in front of a panel of judges. Opportunities like these have continued to inspire Carol and provided her with a view into what it would be like to have a career in business and entrepreneurship.
In addition to her passion for business, she keeps a busy schedule by being Secretary of the National Honor Society. In her role she helps to prepare the meeting agendas, moderate discussions, and assist with the voting process. She has also been a dedicated tutor since 9th grade and loves being able to give back to others in her community in a positive way.
Carol maintains a 4.00 GPA, has applied to the University of South Carolina, Kansas State University, University of Texas at Austin where she plans to study business management and finance.
Silver - Tatyana Maldonado
Hometown: Gurabo, PR
GPA: 4.00
High School: Notre Dame High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Tatyana has high hopes of combining passion for biology and entrepreneurship with her interest in setting up her own clinic one day. With her degree in biology as a start, she wants to pursue a path that focuses on neurology and help those with some of the rarest conditions in the world. Her passion for helping others through her studies and academics extends beyond that. She enjoys giving back to her community and help those who need it most.
She recalls giving tutoring classes in Spanish to a little boy that struggled to retain the information. He had a lot of energy but needed help learning how to channel it all.
She remembers speaking to his teacher, and she explained how the young boy had some family issues and she changed her approach with him to try and make their time together more productive. With some new strategies, coaching, and plan, she noticed small improvements in his behavior and academic performance. He was finally making some progress. These small acts of kindness in her volunteer work are what make Tatyana who she is at her core and drive her in everything she does.
Tatyana is taking AP classes, has received recognition as a National Youth Leadership in 2021, and maintains a perfect 4.00 GPA. She wants to study biology this fall at either New York University, Providence College, or Pittsburgh University.
GPA: 4.00
High School: Notre Dame High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Tatyana has high hopes of combining passion for biology and entrepreneurship with her interest in setting up her own clinic one day. With her degree in biology as a start, she wants to pursue a path that focuses on neurology and help those with some of the rarest conditions in the world. Her passion for helping others through her studies and academics extends beyond that. She enjoys giving back to her community and help those who need it most.
She recalls giving tutoring classes in Spanish to a little boy that struggled to retain the information. He had a lot of energy but needed help learning how to channel it all.
She remembers speaking to his teacher, and she explained how the young boy had some family issues and she changed her approach with him to try and make their time together more productive. With some new strategies, coaching, and plan, she noticed small improvements in his behavior and academic performance. He was finally making some progress. These small acts of kindness in her volunteer work are what make Tatyana who she is at her core and drive her in everything she does.
Tatyana is taking AP classes, has received recognition as a National Youth Leadership in 2021, and maintains a perfect 4.00 GPA. She wants to study biology this fall at either New York University, Providence College, or Pittsburgh University.
Bronze - JENITZA ORTIZ
Hometown: Aguada, PR
GPA: 4.00
High School: Dr. Carlos Gonzalez High School of Aguada PR
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Whether it’s science or business, Jetniza has a mind for numbers. From 10th grade to 12th grade, she has been actively involved in a program called ADEM with a focus in accounting. She spends most of her spare time prepping for and studying topics including accounting, entrepreneurship, business management, personal finance, and excel. These classes have helped her understand how businesses work and have inspired her to keep learning about them. They have helped her see the value of accounting and what a critical role it plays in the financial health of businesses and in being able to identify and stop fraud.
Most recently, she became a member of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) where she has had the opportunity to meet with entrepreneurs that have shared their experiences in starting and leading companies. She has also been able to participate in the BAA where she completed the first two levels and is in the process of completing the final two levels. Each level requires participants to complete different activities related to business and leadership. In addition, Jenitza was awarded first place in a competition against other FBLA chapters in Puerto Rico. She currently holds the title of President for her FBLA chapter.
Jenitza has a perfect 4.00 GPA and wants to study Chemical Engineering with a minor in Economics. She has applied to the University of Puerto Rico Recinto in Mayaguez, the University of Puerto Rico Recinto in Aguadilla, and the Polytechnical University of Puerto Rico.
GPA: 4.00
High School: Dr. Carlos Gonzalez High School of Aguada PR
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Whether it’s science or business, Jetniza has a mind for numbers. From 10th grade to 12th grade, she has been actively involved in a program called ADEM with a focus in accounting. She spends most of her spare time prepping for and studying topics including accounting, entrepreneurship, business management, personal finance, and excel. These classes have helped her understand how businesses work and have inspired her to keep learning about them. They have helped her see the value of accounting and what a critical role it plays in the financial health of businesses and in being able to identify and stop fraud.
Most recently, she became a member of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) where she has had the opportunity to meet with entrepreneurs that have shared their experiences in starting and leading companies. She has also been able to participate in the BAA where she completed the first two levels and is in the process of completing the final two levels. Each level requires participants to complete different activities related to business and leadership. In addition, Jenitza was awarded first place in a competition against other FBLA chapters in Puerto Rico. She currently holds the title of President for her FBLA chapter.
Jenitza has a perfect 4.00 GPA and wants to study Chemical Engineering with a minor in Economics. She has applied to the University of Puerto Rico Recinto in Mayaguez, the University of Puerto Rico Recinto in Aguadilla, and the Polytechnical University of Puerto Rico.
Community Service
GOLD - Jillian Simpson
Hometown: Honolulu, HI
GPA: 3.90
High School: Sacred Hearts Academy
Heritage: Spanish & Portuguese
“My entire life I have always felt a calling to service,” says Jillian. Whether that be helping others through my school, local organizations, or family and friends, Jillian has impacted the lives of many. She has completed over 600 hours of community service to date and counting. Specific examples of services she has done include being a Jr. leader at her local summer camp. In this role she participated in organizing food drives and personally handing meals to many in need. She also served as a tour guide at a local landmark, tutored young students, helped at various school events, cleaned different locations, helped at care homes, and volunteered at local libraries.
Community service has been a defining aspect in her life and has inspired her to want to do more than just volunteer. At its core, it has also been an inspiration for her to pursue a career path in political science and continue helping others in a different, more focused capacity. Jillian also has a big heart for animals and has committed several hours to volunteering at local animal shelters. She helped prep animals who were undergoing surgery, worked diligently to try and find foster and adoption homes, daily tasks such as feeding and bathing them.
Jillian is currently Senior Class President, has received the prestigious community service award two years in a row, has a full course load of AP classes, and is a College Board AP Scholar.
She maintains a 3.90 GPA, has applied to Northern Arizona University, the University of New Mexico, and Montana State University where she plans to major in political science.
GPA: 3.90
High School: Sacred Hearts Academy
Heritage: Spanish & Portuguese
“My entire life I have always felt a calling to service,” says Jillian. Whether that be helping others through my school, local organizations, or family and friends, Jillian has impacted the lives of many. She has completed over 600 hours of community service to date and counting. Specific examples of services she has done include being a Jr. leader at her local summer camp. In this role she participated in organizing food drives and personally handing meals to many in need. She also served as a tour guide at a local landmark, tutored young students, helped at various school events, cleaned different locations, helped at care homes, and volunteered at local libraries.
Community service has been a defining aspect in her life and has inspired her to want to do more than just volunteer. At its core, it has also been an inspiration for her to pursue a career path in political science and continue helping others in a different, more focused capacity. Jillian also has a big heart for animals and has committed several hours to volunteering at local animal shelters. She helped prep animals who were undergoing surgery, worked diligently to try and find foster and adoption homes, daily tasks such as feeding and bathing them.
Jillian is currently Senior Class President, has received the prestigious community service award two years in a row, has a full course load of AP classes, and is a College Board AP Scholar.
She maintains a 3.90 GPA, has applied to Northern Arizona University, the University of New Mexico, and Montana State University where she plans to major in political science.
Silver - Christian Cordoves-Serrano
Hometown: Caguas, PR
GPA: 3.99
High School: Colegio San Jose
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Christian has been active in community service from an early age but especially for the last five years. He has participated in community service activities at school, is a member of the National Honor Society as well as several non-for-profit organizations where he has contributed more than 200 hours of service in the last two years.
He has been highly active at his school where he offers math tutoring to students and assists students and teachers in chemistry laboratories. As a member of the National Honor Society has participated in beach clean-up activities, served hot meals to students of scarce resources, and visited several nursing homes to participate in activities for residents. He has volunteered with a non-for-profit organization La
Tiendita de Jesús which offers hot meals and hygiene products to homeless people. He was recently recognized as one of the most valued volunteers given all the hours contributed with this organization.
Additionally, he continues to give back to the community as part of the team of the non-for-profit organization called Fundación Sin Límites where he has actively participated in fundraising activities and has organized drives to deliver Christmas toys to children in shelters and to those in less privileged communities and distributed essential products to communities impacted by floods. All these opportunities have encouraged him to continue looking for meaningful ways to help.
Christian maintains a 3.99 GPA and plans to major in chemistry or chemical engineering at their Georgetown University, Boston College, or the University of Puerto Rico.
GPA: 3.99
High School: Colegio San Jose
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Christian has been active in community service from an early age but especially for the last five years. He has participated in community service activities at school, is a member of the National Honor Society as well as several non-for-profit organizations where he has contributed more than 200 hours of service in the last two years.
He has been highly active at his school where he offers math tutoring to students and assists students and teachers in chemistry laboratories. As a member of the National Honor Society has participated in beach clean-up activities, served hot meals to students of scarce resources, and visited several nursing homes to participate in activities for residents. He has volunteered with a non-for-profit organization La
Tiendita de Jesús which offers hot meals and hygiene products to homeless people. He was recently recognized as one of the most valued volunteers given all the hours contributed with this organization.
Additionally, he continues to give back to the community as part of the team of the non-for-profit organization called Fundación Sin Límites where he has actively participated in fundraising activities and has organized drives to deliver Christmas toys to children in shelters and to those in less privileged communities and distributed essential products to communities impacted by floods. All these opportunities have encouraged him to continue looking for meaningful ways to help.
Christian maintains a 3.99 GPA and plans to major in chemistry or chemical engineering at their Georgetown University, Boston College, or the University of Puerto Rico.
Bronze - Alana Gallart
Hometown: Caguas, PR
GPA: 3.71
High School: Thomas Alva Edison High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
For Alana, community service is part of who she is. She loves helping others however she can, whenever she can. In addition to spending countless hours on academics, she has spent countless hours on community service.
One of the ways she has been involved in giving back to her community is as a Junior Volunteer in the American Red Cross. In this role she helps with a myriad of administrative tasks including recruiting donors for blood drives, mobilizing donation efforts, and creating a positive experience for staff and other volunteers. She has also participated in “Relevo por la Vida” which is a cancer foundation that is widely known in Puerto Rico.
In addition to working closely with these organizations, she has spent many weekends organizing beach cleanups, visited orphanages, and did volunteer work there, and most recently she became a member of an investigation group about design thinking courses for schools. Although she enjoys her classes, it’s all she does outside of the classroom that truly fills her and moves her to want to do more.
A current project she is working on is creating a Health Fair where many students from various schools can attend and learn about healthy eating habits, wellness programs, and ways to keep active. This was the first time this was being done and the community rejoiced over it. For Alana, it felt great to be able to provide something no one had before.
Alana maintains a 3.71 GPA and has applied to the University of Puerto Rico, Reciento de Río Piedras and the University of the Sacred Heart. She wants to major in marketing.
GPA: 3.71
High School: Thomas Alva Edison High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
For Alana, community service is part of who she is. She loves helping others however she can, whenever she can. In addition to spending countless hours on academics, she has spent countless hours on community service.
One of the ways she has been involved in giving back to her community is as a Junior Volunteer in the American Red Cross. In this role she helps with a myriad of administrative tasks including recruiting donors for blood drives, mobilizing donation efforts, and creating a positive experience for staff and other volunteers. She has also participated in “Relevo por la Vida” which is a cancer foundation that is widely known in Puerto Rico.
In addition to working closely with these organizations, she has spent many weekends organizing beach cleanups, visited orphanages, and did volunteer work there, and most recently she became a member of an investigation group about design thinking courses for schools. Although she enjoys her classes, it’s all she does outside of the classroom that truly fills her and moves her to want to do more.
A current project she is working on is creating a Health Fair where many students from various schools can attend and learn about healthy eating habits, wellness programs, and ways to keep active. This was the first time this was being done and the community rejoiced over it. For Alana, it felt great to be able to provide something no one had before.
Alana maintains a 3.71 GPA and has applied to the University of Puerto Rico, Reciento de Río Piedras and the University of the Sacred Heart. She wants to major in marketing.
Education
GOLD - Natali Keni
Hometown: Kahuku, HI
GPA: 3.80
High School: Kahuku High and Intermediate School
Heritage: Filipino
Natali’s dream is to become a preschool teacher with a focus on special education and sign language. This is something that she is deeply passionate about because she herself has been enrolled in a special education program since she was in 2nd grade because of her delayed learning disability. Yet this has not stopped her from maintaining a 3.80 GPA and excelling in academics. She knows she must put in extra work to stay ahead, and she does not shy away from this – she embraces the challenge and has leveraged the resources at her disposal, her drive, and her commitment to excellence to achieve success in anything she sets her mind to.
She fondly recalls one of the best tutors she has ever worked with named Kim. Natali absolutely loved working with Kim. Her ability to explain material to Natali, her kindness, her thoughtfulness, and her overall positive mindset has inspired Natali to pursue a career path in special education. To that end, she has been proactive and became a volunteer six months ago at a local preschool. As a senior I only have a half day of classes, so the rest of the day I am at Bright Beginnings. This preschool is where she went as a child. The teachers there are an inspiration and the children too. They are learning, math, science, physical education, Hawaiian languages and so much more.
Natali has applied to the Keuka College, Brigham Young University, and Brigham Young University-Idaho and plans to major in early childhood education.
GPA: 3.80
High School: Kahuku High and Intermediate School
Heritage: Filipino
Natali’s dream is to become a preschool teacher with a focus on special education and sign language. This is something that she is deeply passionate about because she herself has been enrolled in a special education program since she was in 2nd grade because of her delayed learning disability. Yet this has not stopped her from maintaining a 3.80 GPA and excelling in academics. She knows she must put in extra work to stay ahead, and she does not shy away from this – she embraces the challenge and has leveraged the resources at her disposal, her drive, and her commitment to excellence to achieve success in anything she sets her mind to.
She fondly recalls one of the best tutors she has ever worked with named Kim. Natali absolutely loved working with Kim. Her ability to explain material to Natali, her kindness, her thoughtfulness, and her overall positive mindset has inspired Natali to pursue a career path in special education. To that end, she has been proactive and became a volunteer six months ago at a local preschool. As a senior I only have a half day of classes, so the rest of the day I am at Bright Beginnings. This preschool is where she went as a child. The teachers there are an inspiration and the children too. They are learning, math, science, physical education, Hawaiian languages and so much more.
Natali has applied to the Keuka College, Brigham Young University, and Brigham Young University-Idaho and plans to major in early childhood education.
Silver - Isabel Rosario
Hometown: Caguas, PR
GPA: 4.00
High School: Commonwealth-Parkville School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
While education has always had a big impact and influence on Isabel, it took on a whole different meaning for her when her grandfather was diagnosed with breast cancer. Less than 1% of breast cancer. She realized the lack of information and misinformation around the topic of breast cancer in men and this propelled her to act. She noticed most campaigns were aimed directly at women only. As part of her Girl Scouts Gold Award, began a journey of advocacy which led to her creating an organization called The One Percent: A Human Race Breast Cancer Awareness project.
Her work on this campaign led her to lobby at the Puerto Rico Senate, the House of Representatives, and even the Governor. Senate Bill 151 by her petition is now law number 50-221, which declares every 2nd Friday of October each year as the Male Breast Cancer Awareness Day in Puerto Rico. Isabel also designed a 99% pink and 1% blue ribbon to highlight those who are forgotten.
To design the ribbon, she collaborated extensively with the American Cancer Society, the Puerto Rican League Against Cancer, and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. She ran a social media campaign to promote awareness and was featured in newspapers such as “El Nuevo Dia”, “Metro”, the “BuenaVida” magazine, and the “TeleOnce” television channel. In 2021, she was recognized during Hispanic Heritage Month by the Girl Scouts USA as a powerful Latina Girl Scouts because of this project.
Isabel maintains a 4.00 GPA and plans to major in communications this fall at either New York University, University of Pennsylvania, or Boston University.
GPA: 4.00
High School: Commonwealth-Parkville School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
While education has always had a big impact and influence on Isabel, it took on a whole different meaning for her when her grandfather was diagnosed with breast cancer. Less than 1% of breast cancer. She realized the lack of information and misinformation around the topic of breast cancer in men and this propelled her to act. She noticed most campaigns were aimed directly at women only. As part of her Girl Scouts Gold Award, began a journey of advocacy which led to her creating an organization called The One Percent: A Human Race Breast Cancer Awareness project.
Her work on this campaign led her to lobby at the Puerto Rico Senate, the House of Representatives, and even the Governor. Senate Bill 151 by her petition is now law number 50-221, which declares every 2nd Friday of October each year as the Male Breast Cancer Awareness Day in Puerto Rico. Isabel also designed a 99% pink and 1% blue ribbon to highlight those who are forgotten.
To design the ribbon, she collaborated extensively with the American Cancer Society, the Puerto Rican League Against Cancer, and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. She ran a social media campaign to promote awareness and was featured in newspapers such as “El Nuevo Dia”, “Metro”, the “BuenaVida” magazine, and the “TeleOnce” television channel. In 2021, she was recognized during Hispanic Heritage Month by the Girl Scouts USA as a powerful Latina Girl Scouts because of this project.
Isabel maintains a 4.00 GPA and plans to major in communications this fall at either New York University, University of Pennsylvania, or Boston University.
Bronze - Graceangeliz Soto
Hometown: Canóvanas, PR
GPA: 4.00
High School: Escuela José E. Aponte de la Torre
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Ever since she was a little girl, Graceangeliz has been extremely interested in languages, other countries, and world cultures. “It just fascinates me how different every country is. The food, the people, the cultures, the languages, there’s something so intriguing to me about them. I have also been raised in a business-like environment and I am passionate about that as well,” she says.
She recounts how diverse her school is. There are so many different nationalities represented from all over the world. This may be where her proclivity to learn more about different cultures comes from. Her school is one that specializes in math, technology, science, and languages. This program has developed her passion for languages and math. Graceangeliz can speak basic Portuguese, German, French and is fluent in Spanish and English.
Graceangeliz is also very involved in her local church. On the weekends she helps lead youth activities and teaches in the summer camp as a teachers aid. In addition to all her volunteering and strong academics, she has received multiple leadership and recognition awards from the various organizations she is involved in and for successful school projects.
She maintains a perfect 4.00 GPA and plans to study international business this fall at Oral Roberts University, Bentley University, or Providence College.
GPA: 4.00
High School: Escuela José E. Aponte de la Torre
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Ever since she was a little girl, Graceangeliz has been extremely interested in languages, other countries, and world cultures. “It just fascinates me how different every country is. The food, the people, the cultures, the languages, there’s something so intriguing to me about them. I have also been raised in a business-like environment and I am passionate about that as well,” she says.
She recounts how diverse her school is. There are so many different nationalities represented from all over the world. This may be where her proclivity to learn more about different cultures comes from. Her school is one that specializes in math, technology, science, and languages. This program has developed her passion for languages and math. Graceangeliz can speak basic Portuguese, German, French and is fluent in Spanish and English.
Graceangeliz is also very involved in her local church. On the weekends she helps lead youth activities and teaches in the summer camp as a teachers aid. In addition to all her volunteering and strong academics, she has received multiple leadership and recognition awards from the various organizations she is involved in and for successful school projects.
She maintains a perfect 4.00 GPA and plans to study international business this fall at Oral Roberts University, Bentley University, or Providence College.
Engineering
GOLD - Faviana Colón
Hometown: Caguas, PR
GPA: 4.00
High School: Notre Dame High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Faviana relishes in her love of learning and challenges herself academically every single day. She does not stop there, however. Her love of learning also translates to challenging herself outside of the classroom. Despite a full course load, she has enrolled herself in college-level courses as well to further push her intellectual curiosity. She also maintains an active schedule competing in a variety of contests in Puerto Rico including: The Mathematics Olympics of Puerto Rico and the Science Bowl. As a future genetics engineer, she plans to develop genetic therapies for inherited diseases.
She has a deep zeal for STEM-related subjects. This led her to take an interest in opportunities the last few summers to register and take different math and science related coursera class such as pre-calculus, life engineering, Fibonacci numbers and the golden ratio, and even a Covid-19 course. She also enjoys branching out and working on different projects and initiatives. One such group that has been very meaningful and important to her is the Girls With Impact Academy program where, alongside her mentor, she worked on a website called Ecoxie raise awareness of the small sustainable business in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Thus, all her academic and non-academic, experiences have significantly contributed to developing a strong well-rounded set of experiences.
Faviana maintains a perfect 4.00 GPA and has applied to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, and the University of Michigan where she plans to major in Chemical & Biological Engineering.
GPA: 4.00
High School: Notre Dame High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Faviana relishes in her love of learning and challenges herself academically every single day. She does not stop there, however. Her love of learning also translates to challenging herself outside of the classroom. Despite a full course load, she has enrolled herself in college-level courses as well to further push her intellectual curiosity. She also maintains an active schedule competing in a variety of contests in Puerto Rico including: The Mathematics Olympics of Puerto Rico and the Science Bowl. As a future genetics engineer, she plans to develop genetic therapies for inherited diseases.
She has a deep zeal for STEM-related subjects. This led her to take an interest in opportunities the last few summers to register and take different math and science related coursera class such as pre-calculus, life engineering, Fibonacci numbers and the golden ratio, and even a Covid-19 course. She also enjoys branching out and working on different projects and initiatives. One such group that has been very meaningful and important to her is the Girls With Impact Academy program where, alongside her mentor, she worked on a website called Ecoxie raise awareness of the small sustainable business in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Thus, all her academic and non-academic, experiences have significantly contributed to developing a strong well-rounded set of experiences.
Faviana maintains a perfect 4.00 GPA and has applied to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, and the University of Michigan where she plans to major in Chemical & Biological Engineering.
Silver - Arnaldo Bisbal López
Hometown: San Juan, PR
GPA: 3.98
High School: Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Arnaldo has a passion for helping others and for human life itself. He wants to use his knowledge of engineering to be able to affect positive change in the world. Advancements in the field of engineering will continue to play a critical role in the process of the mankind, and she hopes to contribute to that effort. Aside from academic and educational work, he has real-world hands-on experience directly with companies that are already affecting positive change. Recently he had the incredible opportunity to help and organization facilitate the administration of the covid vaccine in Puerto Rico an effort to reduce the transmission rate of the on the island, especially in the hardest hit communities.
His love of technology and science has led her to compete in various competitions in Puerto Rico. He has successfully placed first and second place in the annual science fair, placed third in the 2020 in the 2020 PR Regional Science Bowl, and second place in the Colegio Marista Science Bowl Competition. In 2020 as well. Although this keeps him quite busy, Arnaldo still makes time to serve his community regularly in a variety of ways including volunteering at different festival and community events around her neighborhood, different drives, etc.
Arnaldo maintains an impressive 3.98 GPA, has a course load filled with AP classes, and has applied to Boston University, Columbia University, and University of Michigan Ann Arbor where he plans to study mechanical engineering.
GPA: 3.98
High School: Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Arnaldo has a passion for helping others and for human life itself. He wants to use his knowledge of engineering to be able to affect positive change in the world. Advancements in the field of engineering will continue to play a critical role in the process of the mankind, and she hopes to contribute to that effort. Aside from academic and educational work, he has real-world hands-on experience directly with companies that are already affecting positive change. Recently he had the incredible opportunity to help and organization facilitate the administration of the covid vaccine in Puerto Rico an effort to reduce the transmission rate of the on the island, especially in the hardest hit communities.
His love of technology and science has led her to compete in various competitions in Puerto Rico. He has successfully placed first and second place in the annual science fair, placed third in the 2020 in the 2020 PR Regional Science Bowl, and second place in the Colegio Marista Science Bowl Competition. In 2020 as well. Although this keeps him quite busy, Arnaldo still makes time to serve his community regularly in a variety of ways including volunteering at different festival and community events around her neighborhood, different drives, etc.
Arnaldo maintains an impressive 3.98 GPA, has a course load filled with AP classes, and has applied to Boston University, Columbia University, and University of Michigan Ann Arbor where he plans to study mechanical engineering.
Bronze - Fabiola Caro
Hometown: Guaynabo, PR
GPA: 4.00
High School: Colegio Mater Salvatoris High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Mechanical engineering appeals to Fabiola because it combines her two passions: art and science. Art has always provided a source of peace for her, and it has allowed her to express her creativity while also communicating how she feels. In particular, physics has always piqued her interest. The prospect of learning more about how the universe behaves inspires her to be curious and to dream. She’s intrigued by the possibility of designing and manufacturing aircraft and equipment, as well as creating solutions to some of the worlds most challenging and complex aerospace problems.
In 10th grade, she participated in a program offered by the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico called STAR Academy. It was there where she completed her first research investigation, "Designing a Small-Scale Satellite for Habitable Exoplanet Research." The
study's objective was to see if a small-scale satellite could be designed to study the habitability of exoplanets. Satellite EH Kepler was created after all aspects of the study were completed; it had a mass of 152.91kg, classifying it as a small-scale satellite.
Not only did this research make her realize the infinite possibilities that life has in store for us, but it also made her realize that science is the future. Receiving 1st place in this competition proved to her she could achieve her goals through resilience and passion. Since then, she has daydreamed about the day when her own creation will be launched into space.
Fabiola maintains a 4.00 GPA and has applied to the Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Michigan, and Purdue University where she plans to major in mechanical engineering this fall.
GPA: 4.00
High School: Colegio Mater Salvatoris High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Mechanical engineering appeals to Fabiola because it combines her two passions: art and science. Art has always provided a source of peace for her, and it has allowed her to express her creativity while also communicating how she feels. In particular, physics has always piqued her interest. The prospect of learning more about how the universe behaves inspires her to be curious and to dream. She’s intrigued by the possibility of designing and manufacturing aircraft and equipment, as well as creating solutions to some of the worlds most challenging and complex aerospace problems.
In 10th grade, she participated in a program offered by the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico called STAR Academy. It was there where she completed her first research investigation, "Designing a Small-Scale Satellite for Habitable Exoplanet Research." The
study's objective was to see if a small-scale satellite could be designed to study the habitability of exoplanets. Satellite EH Kepler was created after all aspects of the study were completed; it had a mass of 152.91kg, classifying it as a small-scale satellite.
Not only did this research make her realize the infinite possibilities that life has in store for us, but it also made her realize that science is the future. Receiving 1st place in this competition proved to her she could achieve her goals through resilience and passion. Since then, she has daydreamed about the day when her own creation will be launched into space.
Fabiola maintains a 4.00 GPA and has applied to the Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Michigan, and Purdue University where she plans to major in mechanical engineering this fall.
Healthcare & Science
GOLD - Gustavo Hernández
Hometown: Gurabo, PR
GPA: 4.00
High School: Radians High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Gustavo has felt a calling to study a field that is STEM related for a long time. His true passion is in biology and research. He finds himself gravitating to this field for two main reasons: (1) the opportunity to both discover and create new revolutionary developments; (2) the access to help improve the lives of millions of people, even if just in an indirect way. “I was especially inspired by an investigation into the synaptic plasticity of mice when shown a specific stimulus run by Dr. Hector de Jesus, an amazing Puerto Rican scientist at MIT,” says Gustavo. The implications on learning and helping treat neurodegenerative diseases showed him that direct investigation can make an immense outward impact on people of all walks of life.
It is because of his participation in his program, the Sagrado Neuroscience Precollege Program, the Science Bowl, and his own investigations into alternative farming methods, that Gustavo has developed a love of asking questions. “Questions are central to the goals of science. Through them we can understand the world in an unbiased, yet intensely curious way,” continues Gustavo. For some time, he had been torn between the dilemma every passionate biology student his age faces: should his goal be to conduct research or take the path of medicine? Exploring these experiences, along with the aid of mentors, helped to make the decision clearer with every passing moment. The freedoms, unpredictability and collaborative aspects of investigating began to win out in his inner debate. Through this career path he hopes to uncover the root of the essential questions in neuroscience and use what he learns to improve the quality of life of as many people as possible.
Gustavo maintains a 4.00 GPA and plans to major in biological sciences this fall at either Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, or Stanford University.
GPA: 4.00
High School: Radians High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Gustavo has felt a calling to study a field that is STEM related for a long time. His true passion is in biology and research. He finds himself gravitating to this field for two main reasons: (1) the opportunity to both discover and create new revolutionary developments; (2) the access to help improve the lives of millions of people, even if just in an indirect way. “I was especially inspired by an investigation into the synaptic plasticity of mice when shown a specific stimulus run by Dr. Hector de Jesus, an amazing Puerto Rican scientist at MIT,” says Gustavo. The implications on learning and helping treat neurodegenerative diseases showed him that direct investigation can make an immense outward impact on people of all walks of life.
It is because of his participation in his program, the Sagrado Neuroscience Precollege Program, the Science Bowl, and his own investigations into alternative farming methods, that Gustavo has developed a love of asking questions. “Questions are central to the goals of science. Through them we can understand the world in an unbiased, yet intensely curious way,” continues Gustavo. For some time, he had been torn between the dilemma every passionate biology student his age faces: should his goal be to conduct research or take the path of medicine? Exploring these experiences, along with the aid of mentors, helped to make the decision clearer with every passing moment. The freedoms, unpredictability and collaborative aspects of investigating began to win out in his inner debate. Through this career path he hopes to uncover the root of the essential questions in neuroscience and use what he learns to improve the quality of life of as many people as possible.
Gustavo maintains a 4.00 GPA and plans to major in biological sciences this fall at either Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, or Stanford University.
Silver - Jaime Davila Pedraza
Hometown: San Juan , PR
GPA: 3.96
High School: Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola
Heritage: Puerto Rican
“To explain my main reason for studying medicine, I first need to describe the current climate in the Puerto Rican medical sector,” says Jaime. He goes on to explain how due to the damage caused by hurricane Maria and the growing debt held by the island of Puerto Rico, the public health care system is burdened by heavy budget cuts, leaving doctors greatly underfunded and this has led to many of them leaving for the United States in search of positions that are better compensated. This has led to massive understaffing which poses issues for those seeking specialize assistance.
Jaime has felt this crisis on a personal level, as his grandfather suffers from a neural disease that frequently restricts his motor functions, often causing intense dizziness, and has spent years finding a suitable neurologist to diagnose him, all to no avail. To avoid cases such as his grandfather’s, he has decided to contribute to the Puerto Rican medical front by studying neurology and applying his knowledge in the island.
He has explored his interest in medicine through the Human Anatomy and Physiology course offered for seniors at his high school. In it, he has learned about anatomical positions, general cytology and histology, and the study and dissection of organs. Related to his interest in behavioral anatomy, he has also taken courses on neuroimaging techniques offered by Johns Hopkins on Coursera. In addition, he wrote a research paper on Parkinson’s Disease for his 10th grade English class and performed a science fair project on the effect of different document formats on information retention
Jaime has applied to the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, and Northeastern University. He currently has a 3.96 GPA and plans to study neuroscience and minor in computer science.
GPA: 3.96
High School: Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola
Heritage: Puerto Rican
“To explain my main reason for studying medicine, I first need to describe the current climate in the Puerto Rican medical sector,” says Jaime. He goes on to explain how due to the damage caused by hurricane Maria and the growing debt held by the island of Puerto Rico, the public health care system is burdened by heavy budget cuts, leaving doctors greatly underfunded and this has led to many of them leaving for the United States in search of positions that are better compensated. This has led to massive understaffing which poses issues for those seeking specialize assistance.
Jaime has felt this crisis on a personal level, as his grandfather suffers from a neural disease that frequently restricts his motor functions, often causing intense dizziness, and has spent years finding a suitable neurologist to diagnose him, all to no avail. To avoid cases such as his grandfather’s, he has decided to contribute to the Puerto Rican medical front by studying neurology and applying his knowledge in the island.
He has explored his interest in medicine through the Human Anatomy and Physiology course offered for seniors at his high school. In it, he has learned about anatomical positions, general cytology and histology, and the study and dissection of organs. Related to his interest in behavioral anatomy, he has also taken courses on neuroimaging techniques offered by Johns Hopkins on Coursera. In addition, he wrote a research paper on Parkinson’s Disease for his 10th grade English class and performed a science fair project on the effect of different document formats on information retention
Jaime has applied to the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, and Northeastern University. He currently has a 3.96 GPA and plans to study neuroscience and minor in computer science.
Bronze - Estevan Torres
Hometown: Ponce, PR
GPA: 3.60
High School: Colegio Ponceño
Heritage: Puerto Rican
One of Estevan’s earliest memories is learning that his math teacher had a Master’s degree in Biology and his passion for animal sciences fascinated him. He remembers in fourth grade when he went with his family on a trip to South Padre Island, Texas where he was able to be a Sea Turtle Junior Zookeeper for the day; he loved every second of it. He knew from that day forward that he was destined for a future surrounded by the ocean.
Spring break 2016 he and his family went on their bi-annual trip to his grandparents’ house in Puerto Rico. He had no idea how much my life was about to change until his parents told him they were moving to Puerto Rico to start his junior high schooling. Three months later they are still living in Ponce, Puerto Rico and the challenge began because he did not speak a word of Spanish. Although he had been previously enrolled in a fully bilingual school, he really needed to step his game up and this would put his knowledge to the test. In addition to practicing his Spanish, living on an Island has allowed for many opportunities for him to be around marine life more often. Seeing the level of human impact on the ocean has inspired him to be an aquatic veterinarian. With a medical university nearby, he has been able to volunteer in both biomedical and neuro laboratories and work with animal and cell labs.
In the summer of 2021, he attended the Salish Sea Field & Lab Research camp in Friday Harbor, Washington where he was able to spend 4 weeks studying orcas. This further continued to fuel his passion to learn more about the oceans and the life beneath the surface. Estevan has a 3.60 GPA and plans to study marine biology at either the University of Washington-Seattle, Oregon State University, or Boston University.
GPA: 3.60
High School: Colegio Ponceño
Heritage: Puerto Rican
One of Estevan’s earliest memories is learning that his math teacher had a Master’s degree in Biology and his passion for animal sciences fascinated him. He remembers in fourth grade when he went with his family on a trip to South Padre Island, Texas where he was able to be a Sea Turtle Junior Zookeeper for the day; he loved every second of it. He knew from that day forward that he was destined for a future surrounded by the ocean.
Spring break 2016 he and his family went on their bi-annual trip to his grandparents’ house in Puerto Rico. He had no idea how much my life was about to change until his parents told him they were moving to Puerto Rico to start his junior high schooling. Three months later they are still living in Ponce, Puerto Rico and the challenge began because he did not speak a word of Spanish. Although he had been previously enrolled in a fully bilingual school, he really needed to step his game up and this would put his knowledge to the test. In addition to practicing his Spanish, living on an Island has allowed for many opportunities for him to be around marine life more often. Seeing the level of human impact on the ocean has inspired him to be an aquatic veterinarian. With a medical university nearby, he has been able to volunteer in both biomedical and neuro laboratories and work with animal and cell labs.
In the summer of 2021, he attended the Salish Sea Field & Lab Research camp in Friday Harbor, Washington where he was able to spend 4 weeks studying orcas. This further continued to fuel his passion to learn more about the oceans and the life beneath the surface. Estevan has a 3.60 GPA and plans to study marine biology at either the University of Washington-Seattle, Oregon State University, or Boston University.
Media & Entertainment
GOLD - Marisabel Díaz Rivera
Hometown: Rio Grande, PR
GPA: 4.00
High School: Escuela Secundaria de la Universidad de Puerto Rico
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Marisabel recalls her passion for the arts and media from early in her life. Her true interest lies in becoming a renowned journalist one day. Although her high school does not offer many electives related to this field, she has had the opportunity to engage in many activities and events outside of school which have helped her sharpen her knowledge and skills as a young journalist.
She has had the opportunity to participate in a journalism summer camp last summer, offered by the University of the Sacred Heart in Puerto Rico. This summer camp expanded her knowledge in the discipline of journalism, especially in the context of Puerto Rico. This opportunity provided her with a change to learn more and practice what would be like to be a journalist. During the program, the participants had to write an article about the youth of Puerto Rico and the pandemic. The best article was selected to be published in the Sacred Heart Newspaper. Marisabel wrote an article about the many different initiatives that emerged among young people, and how these initiatives helped teenagers develop their areas of interest and reach their peers while doing things that they enjoyed. She rejoiced when her article was selected and published.
Another defining experience for her that further solidified her interest in journalism was when she had the opportunity to work on a short film collaboration between Jam Productions (a student-led production organization) and the Oratory team from University High School. As co-captain of the Oratory team she was in charge of the relations between the team and Jam Productions, which proved to be quite the challenge.
Marisabel plans to study journalism and media, maintains a 4.00 GPA, and plans to attend either the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain or the University of Puerto Rico at Recinto de Rio Piedras.
GPA: 4.00
High School: Escuela Secundaria de la Universidad de Puerto Rico
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Marisabel recalls her passion for the arts and media from early in her life. Her true interest lies in becoming a renowned journalist one day. Although her high school does not offer many electives related to this field, she has had the opportunity to engage in many activities and events outside of school which have helped her sharpen her knowledge and skills as a young journalist.
She has had the opportunity to participate in a journalism summer camp last summer, offered by the University of the Sacred Heart in Puerto Rico. This summer camp expanded her knowledge in the discipline of journalism, especially in the context of Puerto Rico. This opportunity provided her with a change to learn more and practice what would be like to be a journalist. During the program, the participants had to write an article about the youth of Puerto Rico and the pandemic. The best article was selected to be published in the Sacred Heart Newspaper. Marisabel wrote an article about the many different initiatives that emerged among young people, and how these initiatives helped teenagers develop their areas of interest and reach their peers while doing things that they enjoyed. She rejoiced when her article was selected and published.
Another defining experience for her that further solidified her interest in journalism was when she had the opportunity to work on a short film collaboration between Jam Productions (a student-led production organization) and the Oratory team from University High School. As co-captain of the Oratory team she was in charge of the relations between the team and Jam Productions, which proved to be quite the challenge.
Marisabel plans to study journalism and media, maintains a 4.00 GPA, and plans to attend either the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain or the University of Puerto Rico at Recinto de Rio Piedras.
Silver - Adia Cotto Quiñones
Hometown: Caguas, PR
GPA: 3.95
High School: Escuela Secundaria UPR High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Adia feels like the best version of herself when she is on stage. Ever since her first singing class when she was just five years old, she has been in love with performing.
Despite her tendency to be more of a shy person who did not enjoy the spotlight, her talent showed through. She comes alive every time she is on stage. “The reason why I love entertaining is that you get to change a person’s life with a line, a lyric, or a
movement. I have always loved to sing, dance and act, but it was when I saw my first musical on Broadway that I found out you could do all three at the same time,” says Adia. Since then, she has been participating in multiple classes, programs, activities, and projects that involve aspects of this career. She began auditioning for roles in semi-professional musicals like Little Inez in Hairspray Jr., Camila Rosario in In the Heights, Anna in Frozen Jr, Ashley in Emma the musical and now Miss Honey in Matilda the musical.
She recently received a full merit scholarship to participate in Aspire: Five Week Program @ Berklee and CMU’s Pre-College Program, which has provided her another opportunity to further pursue her goals. Finally, she is the founder of the first musical theater club at her school, where the goal is to teach the students about musical theater and produce a production by the end of the year.
Adia maintains a 3.95 GPA and plans to attend either the University of Michigan School of Music, Theater and Dance, Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama, or the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and major in musical theater.
GPA: 3.95
High School: Escuela Secundaria UPR High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Adia feels like the best version of herself when she is on stage. Ever since her first singing class when she was just five years old, she has been in love with performing.
Despite her tendency to be more of a shy person who did not enjoy the spotlight, her talent showed through. She comes alive every time she is on stage. “The reason why I love entertaining is that you get to change a person’s life with a line, a lyric, or a
movement. I have always loved to sing, dance and act, but it was when I saw my first musical on Broadway that I found out you could do all three at the same time,” says Adia. Since then, she has been participating in multiple classes, programs, activities, and projects that involve aspects of this career. She began auditioning for roles in semi-professional musicals like Little Inez in Hairspray Jr., Camila Rosario in In the Heights, Anna in Frozen Jr, Ashley in Emma the musical and now Miss Honey in Matilda the musical.
She recently received a full merit scholarship to participate in Aspire: Five Week Program @ Berklee and CMU’s Pre-College Program, which has provided her another opportunity to further pursue her goals. Finally, she is the founder of the first musical theater club at her school, where the goal is to teach the students about musical theater and produce a production by the end of the year.
Adia maintains a 3.95 GPA and plans to attend either the University of Michigan School of Music, Theater and Dance, Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama, or the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and major in musical theater.
Bronze - Kamalkali Toraño
Hometown: Dorado, PR
GPA: 3.99
High School: Tasis Dorado High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Kamalkali’s dream is to be a singer and inspire others through her music and performances. Her heart is set on this, and she has already taken steps to make her dream a reality. To date she has participated in various programs, classes, and activities related to this field. For example, she has been taking singing lessons since she was six years old. From a young age she has been working on her vocal capabilities and her passion for the entertainment industry has only drown deeper since then.
More recently, she has been taking music theory lessons to prepare herself to continue this career at a college level. At her high school, she has also completed various courses related to the arts such as vocals, acting, advanced acting, and even AP Music Theory. As a young leader in this field, she is the President of the International Thespian Society and the Vice-President of the Modern Music Masters (Tri-M) honor society. Her involvement in these two groups have further rooted her in a strong community of the arts.
In addition to this, she has been a part of all of the musicals her school has organized since 2009 and has even performed at special events that the school faculty hosts, like donor galas and retirement parties. Currently, she is the Teacher’s Assistant for her high schools vocal class and aims to share the singing and music knowledge she has with the rest of the students and beyond.
Kamalkali has a 3.99 GPA and wants to major in Contemporary Vocal Performance and minor in French, Psychology, or Music Business. She has applied to New York University, the University of Southern California, and the Los Angeles College of Music.
GPA: 3.99
High School: Tasis Dorado High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Kamalkali’s dream is to be a singer and inspire others through her music and performances. Her heart is set on this, and she has already taken steps to make her dream a reality. To date she has participated in various programs, classes, and activities related to this field. For example, she has been taking singing lessons since she was six years old. From a young age she has been working on her vocal capabilities and her passion for the entertainment industry has only drown deeper since then.
More recently, she has been taking music theory lessons to prepare herself to continue this career at a college level. At her high school, she has also completed various courses related to the arts such as vocals, acting, advanced acting, and even AP Music Theory. As a young leader in this field, she is the President of the International Thespian Society and the Vice-President of the Modern Music Masters (Tri-M) honor society. Her involvement in these two groups have further rooted her in a strong community of the arts.
In addition to this, she has been a part of all of the musicals her school has organized since 2009 and has even performed at special events that the school faculty hosts, like donor galas and retirement parties. Currently, she is the Teacher’s Assistant for her high schools vocal class and aims to share the singing and music knowledge she has with the rest of the students and beyond.
Kamalkali has a 3.99 GPA and wants to major in Contemporary Vocal Performance and minor in French, Psychology, or Music Business. She has applied to New York University, the University of Southern California, and the Los Angeles College of Music.
Public Service & Social Justice
GOLD - Natalia Martínez
Hometown: San Juan, PR
GPA: 3.79
High School: Academia Maria Reina
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Throughout her high school career, Natalia has become devoted to striving for social justice and public service. In particular, she has decided to participate and lead her school’s Model United Nations club, where she has been able to further educate herself and others on relevant political and social issues, especially as it relates to politics and Puerto Rico. She is a proud founding member of the Coalición Juvenil de Puerto Rico (Youth Coalition of Puerto Rico), a non-profit organization focused on leading the positive change of Puerto Rico’s youth. In the coalition, she has been able to develop and translate easily accessible news stories aimed at the young Puerto Rican community, engage in meetings and conversations with like-minded individuals, and further participate in spreading beliefs of Social Justice and partaking in Public Service.
Furthermore, as treasurer, vice-president, and now president of her high school’s Model United Nations club, she has been able to educate members of the school community on diplomacy, public speaking, international relations, politics, and social justice via leading intramural competitions, workshops, and activities within the club and at times with other schools. This past summer, she was in the Harvard Undergraduate International Relations Scholars Program, composed of workshops, forums, and conversations with world leaders. In the program, she discovered how public policy and social justice can have intertwined developments. Therefore, the Public Service and Social Justice category greatly interested her as she aimed to become a leader fighting for social justice to strengthen her community.
Natalia is a ILMUNC 2020 Best International Delegation award recipient, has received the gold and silver medal in the Le Grand Concours. She has a 3.79 GPA and plans to study international relations with a minor in French at either American University, George Washington University, or Georgetown University.
GPA: 3.79
High School: Academia Maria Reina
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Throughout her high school career, Natalia has become devoted to striving for social justice and public service. In particular, she has decided to participate and lead her school’s Model United Nations club, where she has been able to further educate herself and others on relevant political and social issues, especially as it relates to politics and Puerto Rico. She is a proud founding member of the Coalición Juvenil de Puerto Rico (Youth Coalition of Puerto Rico), a non-profit organization focused on leading the positive change of Puerto Rico’s youth. In the coalition, she has been able to develop and translate easily accessible news stories aimed at the young Puerto Rican community, engage in meetings and conversations with like-minded individuals, and further participate in spreading beliefs of Social Justice and partaking in Public Service.
Furthermore, as treasurer, vice-president, and now president of her high school’s Model United Nations club, she has been able to educate members of the school community on diplomacy, public speaking, international relations, politics, and social justice via leading intramural competitions, workshops, and activities within the club and at times with other schools. This past summer, she was in the Harvard Undergraduate International Relations Scholars Program, composed of workshops, forums, and conversations with world leaders. In the program, she discovered how public policy and social justice can have intertwined developments. Therefore, the Public Service and Social Justice category greatly interested her as she aimed to become a leader fighting for social justice to strengthen her community.
Natalia is a ILMUNC 2020 Best International Delegation award recipient, has received the gold and silver medal in the Le Grand Concours. She has a 3.79 GPA and plans to study international relations with a minor in French at either American University, George Washington University, or Georgetown University.
Silver - Paola Lee-Vega
Hometown: Gurabo, PR
GPA: 4.00
High School: Escuela Secundaria Especializada en Ciencias, Matemáticas y Tecnología
Heritage: Puerto Rican & Cuban
Paola’s one true passion is social justice. Her drive in life is to create a world that is more just, more equal, and filled with better opportunities for all. This passion inside her has led her to attend different events and participate in various activities. One such event she has been able to partake in is the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s R2L NextGen summer program, where she was able to learn about government and the issues affecting the Latino community. Through this event she met inspiring government leaders and other Latinx students who are also passionate about social justice.
Another group through which she has been able to connect with students like her is the Academy of Youth Advocacy, a program of the Red por los Derechos de la Niñez y la Juventud de Puerto Rico. With this group, she has been able to develop public policies to help ensure gender equality in my island and been moderator and speaker in events against child abuse.
Among the various social justice issues, she cares about, one that is of particular importance to her is gender equality, which is why she co-founded the project Latinas in STEAM in 2019. This initiative has the purpose of empowering young Latinas interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, or Mathematics and raising awareness about the gender disparities in these areas. She has had the opportunity to use
social media to accomplish this and will continue to speak up about other serious social issues.
Paola has a perfect 4.00 GPA and has applied to Yale University, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston University where she will major in sociology and biology.
GPA: 4.00
High School: Escuela Secundaria Especializada en Ciencias, Matemáticas y Tecnología
Heritage: Puerto Rican & Cuban
Paola’s one true passion is social justice. Her drive in life is to create a world that is more just, more equal, and filled with better opportunities for all. This passion inside her has led her to attend different events and participate in various activities. One such event she has been able to partake in is the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s R2L NextGen summer program, where she was able to learn about government and the issues affecting the Latino community. Through this event she met inspiring government leaders and other Latinx students who are also passionate about social justice.
Another group through which she has been able to connect with students like her is the Academy of Youth Advocacy, a program of the Red por los Derechos de la Niñez y la Juventud de Puerto Rico. With this group, she has been able to develop public policies to help ensure gender equality in my island and been moderator and speaker in events against child abuse.
Among the various social justice issues, she cares about, one that is of particular importance to her is gender equality, which is why she co-founded the project Latinas in STEAM in 2019. This initiative has the purpose of empowering young Latinas interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, or Mathematics and raising awareness about the gender disparities in these areas. She has had the opportunity to use
social media to accomplish this and will continue to speak up about other serious social issues.
Paola has a perfect 4.00 GPA and has applied to Yale University, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston University where she will major in sociology and biology.
Bronze - Aliana Arzola
Hometown: Guaynabo, PR
GPA: 3.99
High School: Colegio Mater Salvatoris
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Alana’s biggest hope is to eventually join the non-profit, public service sector and combine her passion for cultural literacy with education. She has nurtured this passion of transmitting knowledge through her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Puerto Rico Global, where she dives into the undiscussed, undiscovered aspects of Puerto Rican culture. She does this through a series of webinars and articles. It has been an experience which has given her the tools for confidence in giving a lecture, creating accessible learning material, and transmitting ideas effectively.
By immersive teaching for a general audience, she was able to learn more about the importance of an equity through retelling stories of histories and traditions. However, the journey with serving continues through years of hard work, re-writing, and professional editing, “I would like to introduce you to Saoirse. She is a creation of the imagination, a protagonist in 7th Culture Kids, my debut novel and my current undertaking. Saoirse is Azerbaijani, Russian, British, Angolan, and Irish. Her friends? Tunisian, Afghan, Kazakh, Tuvaluan, Rwandan. In each character, a way to relate, a figure of authentic representation. In 50,000 words are my two loves: culture and writing. I was ecstatic and wrote from the heart. My book, to me, is a slice of this timeless treasure trove known as Earth. It is a way to connect to everyone reading it, for everyone deserves to be represented in the media,” says Alana.
She is also an HSF scholar, has a 3.99 GPA and has applied to Stanford University, Cornell University, and Columbia University. She plans to major in anthropology and industrial engineering.
GPA: 3.99
High School: Colegio Mater Salvatoris
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Alana’s biggest hope is to eventually join the non-profit, public service sector and combine her passion for cultural literacy with education. She has nurtured this passion of transmitting knowledge through her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Puerto Rico Global, where she dives into the undiscussed, undiscovered aspects of Puerto Rican culture. She does this through a series of webinars and articles. It has been an experience which has given her the tools for confidence in giving a lecture, creating accessible learning material, and transmitting ideas effectively.
By immersive teaching for a general audience, she was able to learn more about the importance of an equity through retelling stories of histories and traditions. However, the journey with serving continues through years of hard work, re-writing, and professional editing, “I would like to introduce you to Saoirse. She is a creation of the imagination, a protagonist in 7th Culture Kids, my debut novel and my current undertaking. Saoirse is Azerbaijani, Russian, British, Angolan, and Irish. Her friends? Tunisian, Afghan, Kazakh, Tuvaluan, Rwandan. In each character, a way to relate, a figure of authentic representation. In 50,000 words are my two loves: culture and writing. I was ecstatic and wrote from the heart. My book, to me, is a slice of this timeless treasure trove known as Earth. It is a way to connect to everyone reading it, for everyone deserves to be represented in the media,” says Alana.
She is also an HSF scholar, has a 3.99 GPA and has applied to Stanford University, Cornell University, and Columbia University. She plans to major in anthropology and industrial engineering.
Sports & Fitness
GOLD - Connor Aparicio-Bill
Hometown: Holualoa, HI
GPA: 4.00
High School: Kealakehe High School
Heritage: Spanish
An accomplished swimmer since the age of seven, Connor Aparicio-Bill is described by his teachers as “highly intelligent and disciplined.” With an innumerable number of medallions, he is one of the best swimmers in the state of Hawaii for breaststroke. He continuously strives to improve his times, despite the many challenges, especially over the last few years. He is part of the Kona Dolphin Swim Club team, as well as of his high school team. Connor attributes part of his success to his teammates and coaches from both organizations, who have given him the strength and encouragement to continue challenging and improving himself, in and out of the water.
According to his science teacher, when Connor started high school, he was very quiet and shy. He did not seek out leadership opportunities, nor did he engage in many social activities. Instead, he turned to his swimming and focused on his academics during that first year. As a sophomore, he cautiously began reaching into the social environment more, as he was recognized and encouraged by his peers as an athlete and a scholar. Qualifying and competing multiple times at the state level gave him the confidence seek leadership roles with great success, surprising himself and the adults around him that know his quiet nature.
Aside from spending his free time teaching others how to swim, Connor is an active member of his community, volunteering as a tutor for disadvantaged, at-risk students. This experience has given him a new understanding of the importance of education, especially for those less privileged than him. Connor is also a dedicated member of his school band, participating devotedly even in the online environment last year. And even as his Science Bowl team was suspended as his school transitioned to distance learning, he successfully rebuilt the team, restarted practice sessions, and now he and his team are planning on attending the 2022 Regional Science Bowl Championships, with Connor as team captain.
Of Spanish descent, Connor is ranked as the number one student of his graduating class at Kealakehe High School, where he also serves as class treasurer. He holds a perfect 4.0 GPA and plans to major in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Arizona State University, or California State Polytechnic University-Pomona.
GPA: 4.00
High School: Kealakehe High School
Heritage: Spanish
An accomplished swimmer since the age of seven, Connor Aparicio-Bill is described by his teachers as “highly intelligent and disciplined.” With an innumerable number of medallions, he is one of the best swimmers in the state of Hawaii for breaststroke. He continuously strives to improve his times, despite the many challenges, especially over the last few years. He is part of the Kona Dolphin Swim Club team, as well as of his high school team. Connor attributes part of his success to his teammates and coaches from both organizations, who have given him the strength and encouragement to continue challenging and improving himself, in and out of the water.
According to his science teacher, when Connor started high school, he was very quiet and shy. He did not seek out leadership opportunities, nor did he engage in many social activities. Instead, he turned to his swimming and focused on his academics during that first year. As a sophomore, he cautiously began reaching into the social environment more, as he was recognized and encouraged by his peers as an athlete and a scholar. Qualifying and competing multiple times at the state level gave him the confidence seek leadership roles with great success, surprising himself and the adults around him that know his quiet nature.
Aside from spending his free time teaching others how to swim, Connor is an active member of his community, volunteering as a tutor for disadvantaged, at-risk students. This experience has given him a new understanding of the importance of education, especially for those less privileged than him. Connor is also a dedicated member of his school band, participating devotedly even in the online environment last year. And even as his Science Bowl team was suspended as his school transitioned to distance learning, he successfully rebuilt the team, restarted practice sessions, and now he and his team are planning on attending the 2022 Regional Science Bowl Championships, with Connor as team captain.
Of Spanish descent, Connor is ranked as the number one student of his graduating class at Kealakehe High School, where he also serves as class treasurer. He holds a perfect 4.0 GPA and plans to major in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Arizona State University, or California State Polytechnic University-Pomona.
Silver - Diandra Frías
Hometown: Guaynabo, PR
GPA: 3.98
High School: Academia Maria Reina
Heritage: Puerto Rican
With a pair of hot pink Adidas spikes, six-year-old Diandra walked on the soccer field. The rest was history. Diandra’s love for soccer only grew from that point. She now serves as her team’s center back, a role that she likes to call the “last woman” position. As the center back, she forms the spine between the goalkeeper and the midfield, also known as her team's pivot for communication. This role has shaped her into a leader and strong communicator that has offered her the necessary skills for a career in medicine.
Generous with her time and talent, Diandra started her own business to help shelters for women survivors of domestic violence victims in Puerto Rico. She also has done missionary work in the Dominican Republic. As president and founder of her school’s Medlife Chapter, her team raised almost $4,000, placing third place out of the 185 teams fundraising, to help Medlife respond to food insecurity during the pandemic by working with communities in Peru to create local soup kitchens that would serve approximately 5,000 meals daily. Diandra has also accumulated over 120 service hours tutoring disadvantaged elementary school students.
After attending a prestigious aviation summer course in Pensacola, Florida, Diandra noticed a distinct lack of representation of Puerto Ricans outside of the island. Many people who she met at the program had stereotypes and misconceptions about Puerto Rico, so she has made it a goal to tell the story of the island by attending Emory University, Northeastern University, or Georgia Institute of Technology.
GPA: 3.98
High School: Academia Maria Reina
Heritage: Puerto Rican
With a pair of hot pink Adidas spikes, six-year-old Diandra walked on the soccer field. The rest was history. Diandra’s love for soccer only grew from that point. She now serves as her team’s center back, a role that she likes to call the “last woman” position. As the center back, she forms the spine between the goalkeeper and the midfield, also known as her team's pivot for communication. This role has shaped her into a leader and strong communicator that has offered her the necessary skills for a career in medicine.
Generous with her time and talent, Diandra started her own business to help shelters for women survivors of domestic violence victims in Puerto Rico. She also has done missionary work in the Dominican Republic. As president and founder of her school’s Medlife Chapter, her team raised almost $4,000, placing third place out of the 185 teams fundraising, to help Medlife respond to food insecurity during the pandemic by working with communities in Peru to create local soup kitchens that would serve approximately 5,000 meals daily. Diandra has also accumulated over 120 service hours tutoring disadvantaged elementary school students.
After attending a prestigious aviation summer course in Pensacola, Florida, Diandra noticed a distinct lack of representation of Puerto Ricans outside of the island. Many people who she met at the program had stereotypes and misconceptions about Puerto Rico, so she has made it a goal to tell the story of the island by attending Emory University, Northeastern University, or Georgia Institute of Technology.
Bronze - María Vázquez
Hometown: San Juan, PR
GPA: 3.72
High School: Academia Maria Reina
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Growing up, María was the only girl in her class who played soccer. She described her experiences, where people would look at her differently for playing such a "manly" sport. Challenging societal norms of what it means to be a girl, María has progressed into a gifted soccer player, playing indoor and outdoor soccer at both club and varsity levels.
María is always pushing herself to the limits, seeking out challenges. She was unsatisfied with the classroom opportunities and wanted the academic challenges, so she prepared to apply to several research opportunities. This opportunity has provided lots of new options to even present and win awards for the projects she has worked on, such as 2nd best poster oral STEM-C presentation in the pre-college research symposium of the Scientific Caribbean Foundation Student Research Development Center for her research project on schizophrenia titled "Dynamics of Schizophrenia: Effects of Clozapine and Probable Improvement.”
Her teachers describe María as an eclectic academic explorer, where she has immersed herself in the study of biology and psychology, languages, and art. She is fluent in Spanish, English, and French, and she has recently taken on sign language. María’s intellectual capacity and wholesomeness seem boundless, which can only be reaffirmed by her status as top 10% of her class. She has a severe and judicious outlook, and her openness extends not just to new experiences but also her warmth and inclusive approach toward others.
María hopes to pursue a degree in biology and neuroscience. Her passion for medicine is not only driven by her experiences as an athlete but also her connection to those who have suffered from cancer. She has participated in fundraising events like the American Society Against Cancer: Relay for Life and Susan G. Komen: Race for the Cure. María hopes to attend Case Western Reserve University, University of Maryland, or the University of Michigan.
GPA: 3.72
High School: Academia Maria Reina
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Growing up, María was the only girl in her class who played soccer. She described her experiences, where people would look at her differently for playing such a "manly" sport. Challenging societal norms of what it means to be a girl, María has progressed into a gifted soccer player, playing indoor and outdoor soccer at both club and varsity levels.
María is always pushing herself to the limits, seeking out challenges. She was unsatisfied with the classroom opportunities and wanted the academic challenges, so she prepared to apply to several research opportunities. This opportunity has provided lots of new options to even present and win awards for the projects she has worked on, such as 2nd best poster oral STEM-C presentation in the pre-college research symposium of the Scientific Caribbean Foundation Student Research Development Center for her research project on schizophrenia titled "Dynamics of Schizophrenia: Effects of Clozapine and Probable Improvement.”
Her teachers describe María as an eclectic academic explorer, where she has immersed herself in the study of biology and psychology, languages, and art. She is fluent in Spanish, English, and French, and she has recently taken on sign language. María’s intellectual capacity and wholesomeness seem boundless, which can only be reaffirmed by her status as top 10% of her class. She has a severe and judicious outlook, and her openness extends not just to new experiences but also her warmth and inclusive approach toward others.
María hopes to pursue a degree in biology and neuroscience. Her passion for medicine is not only driven by her experiences as an athlete but also her connection to those who have suffered from cancer. She has participated in fundraising events like the American Society Against Cancer: Relay for Life and Susan G. Komen: Race for the Cure. María hopes to attend Case Western Reserve University, University of Maryland, or the University of Michigan.
Sustainability (Green)
GOLD - Alexia Casalduc
Hometown: Guaynabo, PR
GPA: 4.00
High School: Commonwealth High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
The environment has always been fascinating to Alexia. This passion of hers took center stage in her life when she was in her sophomore year of high school. This is when she realized her genuine passion for environmental studies and the movement towards sustainability. As a result, she has worked tirelessly towards this objective ever since. As part of her work, she has continued to enroll in complex science and math
courses, like AP Chemistry, Honors Biology, and Honors Calculus, to continue building on her knowledge and skills in the STEM field.
In addition to this, she has continued volunteering and leading in several environment-oriented community service initiatives within her school. Some of the ones she is most active in are the Recycling Club, Interact Club, National Honor Society, and other organizations. Plus, she currently began working as a volunteer with a local non-profit organization called "Arecifes de Coral" that works with the cultivation and preservation of endangered, yet highly fundamental, coral reefs in the northern coast of Puerto Rico. She is extremely fond and passionate over these projects and is eager to find more opportunities to continue supporting her community in much bigger ways in the future.
Alexia wants to major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies this fall at either Tulane University, Boston College, or the University of Vermont. She has a full course schedule of AP and honor classes and maintains a perfect 4.00 GPA.
GPA: 4.00
High School: Commonwealth High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
The environment has always been fascinating to Alexia. This passion of hers took center stage in her life when she was in her sophomore year of high school. This is when she realized her genuine passion for environmental studies and the movement towards sustainability. As a result, she has worked tirelessly towards this objective ever since. As part of her work, she has continued to enroll in complex science and math
courses, like AP Chemistry, Honors Biology, and Honors Calculus, to continue building on her knowledge and skills in the STEM field.
In addition to this, she has continued volunteering and leading in several environment-oriented community service initiatives within her school. Some of the ones she is most active in are the Recycling Club, Interact Club, National Honor Society, and other organizations. Plus, she currently began working as a volunteer with a local non-profit organization called "Arecifes de Coral" that works with the cultivation and preservation of endangered, yet highly fundamental, coral reefs in the northern coast of Puerto Rico. She is extremely fond and passionate over these projects and is eager to find more opportunities to continue supporting her community in much bigger ways in the future.
Alexia wants to major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies this fall at either Tulane University, Boston College, or the University of Vermont. She has a full course schedule of AP and honor classes and maintains a perfect 4.00 GPA.
Silver - Hailey Chong Kee
Hometown: Aiea, HI
GPA: 4.00
High School: Myron B. Thompson Academy High School
Heritage: Portuguese & Spanish
Hailey still remembers watching documentaries about the environment when she was younger. The documentaries inspired her to start recycling certain materials like cans, plastics, and paper. Her young impressionable mind was filled with wonder on all the ways she could contribute to keeping our planet cleaner, safer, and more sustainable.
It’s these experiences early in her life that have motivated to learn more and educate herself more on topics like green sustainability. One of the things she has been working on over the past year is on a project that she presented at the Hawaii State Fair and the History Day Event, where she advanced as a state finalist in both. Her science fair project was on testing different pHs of sunscreen brands and seeing which one affected the ocean reef ecosystem. She used kelp during the experiment and found out that certain chemicals, like oxybenzone affect the kelp the more than the others did. Her History Day project studied the effects of the chemical sprayed in Vietnam, Agent Orange. The research in these projects was the start to her path on wanting to work with her community and the environment. To this day, it is a chemical whose long term, harmful effects continues to be studied.
Hailey wants to study Environmental and Sustainability Studies at either the University of Hawaii at Hilo, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, or Hawaii Pacific University. She has a 4.00 GPA and her goal is to leave planet Earth better for future generations.
GPA: 4.00
High School: Myron B. Thompson Academy High School
Heritage: Portuguese & Spanish
Hailey still remembers watching documentaries about the environment when she was younger. The documentaries inspired her to start recycling certain materials like cans, plastics, and paper. Her young impressionable mind was filled with wonder on all the ways she could contribute to keeping our planet cleaner, safer, and more sustainable.
It’s these experiences early in her life that have motivated to learn more and educate herself more on topics like green sustainability. One of the things she has been working on over the past year is on a project that she presented at the Hawaii State Fair and the History Day Event, where she advanced as a state finalist in both. Her science fair project was on testing different pHs of sunscreen brands and seeing which one affected the ocean reef ecosystem. She used kelp during the experiment and found out that certain chemicals, like oxybenzone affect the kelp the more than the others did. Her History Day project studied the effects of the chemical sprayed in Vietnam, Agent Orange. The research in these projects was the start to her path on wanting to work with her community and the environment. To this day, it is a chemical whose long term, harmful effects continues to be studied.
Hailey wants to study Environmental and Sustainability Studies at either the University of Hawaii at Hilo, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, or Hawaii Pacific University. She has a 4.00 GPA and her goal is to leave planet Earth better for future generations.
Bronze - Stephanie Farmer
Hometown: Mobile, AL
GPA: 3.80
High School: St. Paul's Episcopal High School
Heritage: Honduran
Stephanie fondly recalls how her love for the planet and nature began. She remembers the days of spending time with her grandmother in the garden and how she instilled a passion for caring for the planet. Her grandmother taught her important lessons on recycling and reusing things in an out-of-the-box way. Her love for planet earth and all it has to offer has only grown exponentially since then.
This passion of hers has manifested in several ways. One of the ways it has influenced her life is by the classes she has chosen as electives at her school. Currently, she is taking AP Environmental Science to prepare herself for the college-level courses she plans to enroll in.
She is also very involved in community service that involves activities such as cleaning up parks or beaches and a non-profit called Feeding the Gulf Coast. This organization is a non-profit whose mission is to reuse unwanted, unexpired food to create “bring-home” bags for families in need.
Stephanie is taking all AP classes this year, maintains a 3.80 GPA, and still makes time to volunteer on a regular basis. She plans to major in environmental science and conservation this fall at either the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado, or the University of Arizona.
GPA: 3.80
High School: St. Paul's Episcopal High School
Heritage: Honduran
Stephanie fondly recalls how her love for the planet and nature began. She remembers the days of spending time with her grandmother in the garden and how she instilled a passion for caring for the planet. Her grandmother taught her important lessons on recycling and reusing things in an out-of-the-box way. Her love for planet earth and all it has to offer has only grown exponentially since then.
This passion of hers has manifested in several ways. One of the ways it has influenced her life is by the classes she has chosen as electives at her school. Currently, she is taking AP Environmental Science to prepare herself for the college-level courses she plans to enroll in.
She is also very involved in community service that involves activities such as cleaning up parks or beaches and a non-profit called Feeding the Gulf Coast. This organization is a non-profit whose mission is to reuse unwanted, unexpired food to create “bring-home” bags for families in need.
Stephanie is taking all AP classes this year, maintains a 3.80 GPA, and still makes time to volunteer on a regular basis. She plans to major in environmental science and conservation this fall at either the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado, or the University of Arizona.
Technology
GOLD - Yarianis Rivera
Hometown: Manati, PR
GPA: 3.90
High School: Nueva Brigida Alvarez Rodriguez Specialized in Sciences and Mathematics
Heritage: Puerto Rican
The Disney movie “Big Hero 6” was a big influence in Yarianis’ decision to pursue a career in biomedical engineering. In the movie, the main character, “Hiro,” is a robotics enthusiast who has an older brother who built a robot named Baymax. Baymax is a personal health companion that can attend medical crises and is programmed with over 10,000 medical procedures. At the age of 10, while watching the scene introducing Baymax, Yarianis knew that was exactly what she wanted to do.
Ever since, Yarianis has sought out opportunities to explore her interest in biomedical engineering. At her first computer science camp, she programmed a drone. Her skills only continued to grow, which can be shown in her accolades. Yarianis obtained 1st place in Recycle Plastic Boat Competitions at the 2019 Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers competition. During the 2019-20 VEX Tower Takeover season, Yarianis’ participation in the robotics team has led to several certificates and awards in various competitions: Technology Challenge I Design Award, Latin-American Robotics Excellence Award, Latin-American Design Award, and finally the 2020 VEX Robotics World Championship.
After discovering that women only make up 28% of the STEM workforce, Yarianis started a robotic workshop as a STEM Girl Ambassador of Ciencia Puerto Rico. She is currently the Engineer Girl Ambassador of the National Academy of Engineering. She directed the organization’s Robotics-STEAM project, where it created easier access to material resources for girls to participate in engineering projects. Yarianis is a member of the National Center Women Information Technology Aspirations in Computing community. This non-profit community works to increase meaningful participation of girls and women in the field of computing, particularly in terms of innovation and development. Yarianis has been recognized for her leadership and participation in computer science as the national recipient of the 2021 NCWIT AIC Award.
Yarianis has also interned at NASA and has completed academic research programs at the University of Puerto Rico Arecibo and the University of Pennsylvania. She was also a finalist in the 2019 Microsoft Girl STEAM Challenge, where she developed a solution to runoff water and pollutants. Yarianis’ brag is impressive given her commitment to take on every opportunity to learn and demonstrate her science skills. She hopes to attend Yale University, Cornell University, or Rochester University to study biomedical engineering, followed by a career in medicine and research in ophthalmology.
GPA: 3.90
High School: Nueva Brigida Alvarez Rodriguez Specialized in Sciences and Mathematics
Heritage: Puerto Rican
The Disney movie “Big Hero 6” was a big influence in Yarianis’ decision to pursue a career in biomedical engineering. In the movie, the main character, “Hiro,” is a robotics enthusiast who has an older brother who built a robot named Baymax. Baymax is a personal health companion that can attend medical crises and is programmed with over 10,000 medical procedures. At the age of 10, while watching the scene introducing Baymax, Yarianis knew that was exactly what she wanted to do.
Ever since, Yarianis has sought out opportunities to explore her interest in biomedical engineering. At her first computer science camp, she programmed a drone. Her skills only continued to grow, which can be shown in her accolades. Yarianis obtained 1st place in Recycle Plastic Boat Competitions at the 2019 Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers competition. During the 2019-20 VEX Tower Takeover season, Yarianis’ participation in the robotics team has led to several certificates and awards in various competitions: Technology Challenge I Design Award, Latin-American Robotics Excellence Award, Latin-American Design Award, and finally the 2020 VEX Robotics World Championship.
After discovering that women only make up 28% of the STEM workforce, Yarianis started a robotic workshop as a STEM Girl Ambassador of Ciencia Puerto Rico. She is currently the Engineer Girl Ambassador of the National Academy of Engineering. She directed the organization’s Robotics-STEAM project, where it created easier access to material resources for girls to participate in engineering projects. Yarianis is a member of the National Center Women Information Technology Aspirations in Computing community. This non-profit community works to increase meaningful participation of girls and women in the field of computing, particularly in terms of innovation and development. Yarianis has been recognized for her leadership and participation in computer science as the national recipient of the 2021 NCWIT AIC Award.
Yarianis has also interned at NASA and has completed academic research programs at the University of Puerto Rico Arecibo and the University of Pennsylvania. She was also a finalist in the 2019 Microsoft Girl STEAM Challenge, where she developed a solution to runoff water and pollutants. Yarianis’ brag is impressive given her commitment to take on every opportunity to learn and demonstrate her science skills. She hopes to attend Yale University, Cornell University, or Rochester University to study biomedical engineering, followed by a career in medicine and research in ophthalmology.
Silver - Indira Rosado
Hometown: Toa Alta, PR
GPA: 4.00
High School: University Gardens High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Indira’s passion for medicine stems from her personal experiences. When she was 10, her grandfather developed Parkinson’s, a disease without a cure. She tried to find ways to lessen his pain, providing care. Then in 2021, Indira was diagnosed with fibroadenomas, where her body grew non-cancerous lumps. During her surgery, she was treated with kindness and care, which reaffirmed her dream to become a doctor.
Her thoughtfulness and compassion, which are key characteristics for doctors, are exemplified in her service to her community. During group projects, she is usually the leader, making sure everybody is happy with their task and working toward a common goal. When she served as treasurer of her school’s National Honor Society Chapter, she mediated internal conflicts by strengthening the communication process of all members. Throughout high school, Indira was a math tutor to her peers. During her junior year, she turned her skills as a math tutor into a business to make money to help her parents make ends meet.
Indira has received a number of awards for academic excellence, including 1st place in District and Regional Mathematic Olympics, 2nd place in the School Science Fair, and Honorable Mention in the Regional Science Fair. She has also participated in Kode with Klossy, a prestigious summer program dedicated to teaching young girls how to code.
Her teachers describe Indira as an agile and intelligent student that goes beyond the basics. Indira worked nonstop for eight months on a project that would develop green roofs for her school. She developed several presentations to present at a conference to showcase the environmental benefits of green roofs.
Given Indira’s academic and extracurricular success, it comes no surprise that she is a finalist for the Questbridge Program, a highly competitive full-ride scholarship to one of the top universities in the United States. Indira hopes to attend Stanford University, Columbia University, or Vanderbilt University to study biology or neuroscience.
GPA: 4.00
High School: University Gardens High School
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Indira’s passion for medicine stems from her personal experiences. When she was 10, her grandfather developed Parkinson’s, a disease without a cure. She tried to find ways to lessen his pain, providing care. Then in 2021, Indira was diagnosed with fibroadenomas, where her body grew non-cancerous lumps. During her surgery, she was treated with kindness and care, which reaffirmed her dream to become a doctor.
Her thoughtfulness and compassion, which are key characteristics for doctors, are exemplified in her service to her community. During group projects, she is usually the leader, making sure everybody is happy with their task and working toward a common goal. When she served as treasurer of her school’s National Honor Society Chapter, she mediated internal conflicts by strengthening the communication process of all members. Throughout high school, Indira was a math tutor to her peers. During her junior year, she turned her skills as a math tutor into a business to make money to help her parents make ends meet.
Indira has received a number of awards for academic excellence, including 1st place in District and Regional Mathematic Olympics, 2nd place in the School Science Fair, and Honorable Mention in the Regional Science Fair. She has also participated in Kode with Klossy, a prestigious summer program dedicated to teaching young girls how to code.
Her teachers describe Indira as an agile and intelligent student that goes beyond the basics. Indira worked nonstop for eight months on a project that would develop green roofs for her school. She developed several presentations to present at a conference to showcase the environmental benefits of green roofs.
Given Indira’s academic and extracurricular success, it comes no surprise that she is a finalist for the Questbridge Program, a highly competitive full-ride scholarship to one of the top universities in the United States. Indira hopes to attend Stanford University, Columbia University, or Vanderbilt University to study biology or neuroscience.
Bronze - Estefanía Contreras Rivas
Hometown: Toa Alta, PR
GPA: 3.96
High School: Commonwealth-Parkville School
Heritage: Puerto Rican & Dominican
Watching her dad fix computers in his workshop and attending tech conventions with him, Estefanía developed a love for science. However, she was discouraged in pursuing this passion because of the severe underrepresentation of women, especially those of color, in the engineering and science fields. What encouraged her to push past the lack of representation was the support of her dad and friends. They encouraged her to sign up for aerospace and science related activities at school.
Eventually, she joined the robotics team at her high school. For Estefanía, it was an overwhelming environment because the team was predominantly male, and her voice was often belittled. Her male teammates frequently ignored her input on the projects. But with the support of her friends, she built up the confidence to challenge the male dominated space, to create room for herself. These battles Estefanía has endured has made her a stronger advocate for more representation and empowerment of women in science.
Outside of empowering female students, Estefanía has dedicated time and energy to rebuild her community after natural disasters. Her home in Puerto Rico suffered from many disasters, including hurricanes and earthquakes, and more recently, the pandemic. She drove around her community delivering care packages to the displaced people. Working with her school clubs like the Red Cross and Young Powers, she encouraged students to give back to the community through small, yet tremendous, steps.
Estefanía hopes to study aerospace engineering at MIT, Georgia Institute of Technology, or the University of Michigan Ann Arbor.
GPA: 3.96
High School: Commonwealth-Parkville School
Heritage: Puerto Rican & Dominican
Watching her dad fix computers in his workshop and attending tech conventions with him, Estefanía developed a love for science. However, she was discouraged in pursuing this passion because of the severe underrepresentation of women, especially those of color, in the engineering and science fields. What encouraged her to push past the lack of representation was the support of her dad and friends. They encouraged her to sign up for aerospace and science related activities at school.
Eventually, she joined the robotics team at her high school. For Estefanía, it was an overwhelming environment because the team was predominantly male, and her voice was often belittled. Her male teammates frequently ignored her input on the projects. But with the support of her friends, she built up the confidence to challenge the male dominated space, to create room for herself. These battles Estefanía has endured has made her a stronger advocate for more representation and empowerment of women in science.
Outside of empowering female students, Estefanía has dedicated time and energy to rebuild her community after natural disasters. Her home in Puerto Rico suffered from many disasters, including hurricanes and earthquakes, and more recently, the pandemic. She drove around her community delivering care packages to the displaced people. Working with her school clubs like the Red Cross and Young Powers, she encouraged students to give back to the community through small, yet tremendous, steps.
Estefanía hopes to study aerospace engineering at MIT, Georgia Institute of Technology, or the University of Michigan Ann Arbor.
