Hi everyone! I’m a senior at Sage Hill School with a deep passion for teen mental health, neuroscience, and expanding healthcare access to rural and underserved communities. Spending summers in my grandmother’s rural village in Nepal sparked my commitment to service early on. I began volunteering with the local childcare program, facilitating wellness and confidence-building discussions with young girls. There, I saw firsthand how systemic issues like gender stigma, caste discrimination, and poverty eroded self-esteem. These experiences inspired my dedication to empowering youth and fueled my interest in mental health advocacy. At school, I lead several initiatives aimed at promoting mental health awareness and scientific exploration. I serve as President of both the BrainSTEM Initiative (a district-wide wellness program) and the speech and debate team. Beyond campus, I’ve contributed to academic research as a lab assistant at the University of California, Irvine, and the University of California, Santa Cruz, focusing on adolescent addiction and mental health. I've also founded Mind Matters, a global mental health magazine and serve as the Director of Judging of the Orange County Debate League, a nonprofit hosting monthly debate tournaments.

• Paid Assistant Instructor & Debate Coach - Coached 70+ students over three classes to #1 squad placement at 3 tournaments including Princeton Invitational; developed curriculum & drills; managed parent communication.

  Education · New England Debate Academy

  Jan 2023 – Present

• Advocacy
• Politics
• Volunteering
• Philanthropy
• Entrepreneurship

• Dancing

  Club

  2019 – Present

• Developed multi-user AI chatbot; Wrote a 25pg paper published in International Design & Children, a peer-reviewed conference hosted by the world's premier computing society (Association for Computing Machinery); Worked with neurodivergent children.

  University of California Santa Cruz Science Internship Program (9% acceptance rate) · Human Computer Interaction

  2025 – Present

  Research topic:

  Flipping the Power of Mediation through Teen-Centered AI Design

• Investigated adolescent stress; Wrote a 30pg paper presented in a UC Irvine conference & published in peer-reviewed UCI journal; Conducted brain chemical tests (HPLC-ECD) to detect neurotransmitters; Prepped for rat surgeries; Spoke @ weekly lab meetings

  University of California Irvine Lotfipour Addiction Lab · Neurobiology and Neurosciences

  2024 – 2025

  Research topic:

  Investigating the Impact of Adolescent Nicotine Exposure on Subsequent Fentanyl Use

• Selected as top project presenting at Southern California Academy of Sciences Annual Bulletin, earning chance to present at 2026 American Association for Advancement of Science Annual Meeting

  Southern California Academy of Sciences Research Training Program (1/22 selected from California) · Neurobiology and Neurosciences

  2025 – 2026

  Research topic:

  Investigating the Impact of Adolescent Nicotine Exposure on Subsequent Fentanyl Use

• Co-President & Grant Writer: Partner with 3 schools across Orange County teaching 200+ middle school students wellness & neuroscience curriculum; hosted brain dissections funded by UC Irvine.

  Volunteering · The BrainSTEM Initiative

  2023 – Present

  Mission:

  We are an after-school program aimed at spreading wellness and STEM education to local schools.

• Podcast Outreach Lead & Co-Host: Co-scripted and promoted an addiction podcast to the UC Irvine School of Emergency Medicine & 15 local schools.

  Advocacy · University of California Irvine Center for Addiction Neuroscience

  2025 – Present

  Mission:

  We aim to make science accessible by spreading scientific knowledge about addiction.

• Youngest Member of Board of Directors & Director of Judging: Train/manage 510 judges; ran 11 500-attendee tournaments w/40 school partners; developed 1st judge committee & initiatives improving judge consistency

  Public Service (Politics) · Orange County Debate League: Hosts monthly CA-wide events (80k annual budget, 43 school partners, 500+ attendees/tournament)

  2024 – Present

  Mission:

  We aim to promote debate accessibility to schools within and beyond Orange County, instilling confidence and good character in middle and high school students.

• Ambassador & Creative Writer: Co-led AAPI/Nepalese mental health campaign; Selected for 2025 Ambassador Spotlight for mental health work.

  Volunteering · Yellow Tulip Project (YTP)

  2024 – Present

  Mission:

  YTP aims to smash mental health stigma and advocates for suicide prevention.

• Teen Advisory Board Member: Represented 10k national members at monthly Board of Directors meetings; Co-led website and mobile app redesign; Earned Congressional Gold Medal.

  Volunteering · Lion's Heart Teen Volunteers and Leaders

  2022 – Present

  Mission:

  We aim to provide volunteer opportunities to youth nationwide and connect low income students with scholarship opportunities.

• Founder & Editor-in-Chief: : Lead team of 1450 from 68 countries and 27 US States; 1.1M+ views/month; Earned 2 Scholastic Gold Key awards (top 5%) and 5 Scholastic honorable mention awards (top 15-20%) for creative writing excellence.

  Advocacy · Mind Matters Mental Health Magazine

  2022 – Present

  Mission:

  We aim to create a platform for young writers to share their mental health and wellness stories, decreasing mental health stigma and providing a platform for young writers to promote their work.