Danielle, the CRLS Class of 2018 recipient of the Aurora M. (Ciccariello) Leydon Memorial Scholarship, now enrolled at the Bates College, told us:

“I believe that exploring our identities and how social and environmental influences impact our actions will lead to equality and equity. That is my pursuit. I want to combine my desire to study different branches of psychology with my growing interest in legal studies. I intend to further my exploration into the human mind, to investigate why people commit crimes, and survey different types of rehabilitation and other long-term solutions in place of prison. Being a juvenile prosecutor, but more importantly, a mentor, is the perfect fit for me, because it mixes problem solving with my love for children and my fascination with the criminal mind.  I want to use my passion to contribute purposefully and productively by participating in chaperoning youth on the right path to become productive members of society.”

Congratulations, Danielle!

Diana, CRLS Class of 2018 recipient of the“100 by 100” Cambridge Business Community STEAM Award for Mathematics, now enrolled at Stanford University, told us:

“Among all the things I enjoy, I have two outstanding passions. One passion is for mathematics, computer science, and technology. There is no sense of accomplishment like the one I get from solving a complex math problem, one that I want to continue experiencing throughout my life. My other passion is for making a societal impact on underprivileged communities. My goal is to use my college education to combine these two passions:  excel in math, computer science, and technology, and apply it for the benefit of humanitarian causes.  In the long run, my ultimate goal is to found a company that uses technology and innovation and channel new innovative ideas towards solving challenges that our society faces today (probably targeting emergency aid or reducing the carbon footprint). In order to do this, I would also like to learn more about business, entrepreneurship, economics, and political science, to be able to manage and realize such a company. I strongly believe that the technological world today is far too heavily focused on profit and commercial consumerism rather than using creativity and innovation to bring about positive impact upon our very problematic and conflict-ridden world.”

Congratulations, Diana!

Rakeyah, the CRLS Class of 2018 recipient of the “100 by 100” Cambridge Business Community STEAM Award for Science, now enrolled at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, told us:

“Since my childhood in Bangladesh, I have been always dreaming about working in healthcare services or community help programs for a chance to improve health care, especially medicine.  I want to become a biotechnologist to have experiences where I can not only satisfy my great passion for science but also help people have better and healthier lives.  Scientists can now use genetic-editing techniques to correct certain inherited deadly diseases. Without biotechnology, developing medicines or finding cures would be impossible. Through genetic engineering, I want to find breakthrough cures that will prevent a broad set of diseases and save millions of lives.”

Congratulations, Rakeyah!

Nusrat, CRLS Class of 2018 recipient of the Dr. David A. Link Scholarship for the Health
Professions, now enrolled at Simmons College, told us:

“My first name means helper in Arabic. In Islam, it’s believed that people uphold the meaning of their
name. My friends describe me as ambitious and optimistic, so my personal goals are just the same.
I’ve always wanted to help those around me and I have a passion for teaching and advocating for
health. I plan to intertwine those passions with a degree in psychology and intend on being committed
to social justice issues and work to provide an equal level playing field in schools, in healthcare, and
within my community. With psychology, I can use what I learn about the human mind, behavior, and
interaction to find a way to help the school and hospital communities.”

Congratulations, Nusrat!

Ming, CRLS Class of 2018 recipient of the Earl M. Gardner Scholarship, now enrolled at
UMass Amherst, told us:

“My goal is to help my community and eventually underdeveloped countries by improving
the environment around them so that others can have a brighter future. In college, I want to
take programs where they allow me the freedom to create inventions that can help the lives of
others and implement them in cities that most need them. I want to major in mechanical
engineering so that one day I have a chance to create technologies that can change the lives
of others. Engineering has given me the opportunity to use my creativity and my love for
math and science, by teaching and creating with others with a common purpose. From this,
I’ve come to realize that there is no such thing as an unsolvable question. No matter the
difficulty of the question, with a change in perspective, some curiosity, and a little
determination, you can solve anything.”

Congratulations, Ming!

Alex, CRLS class of 2018 recipient of the CRLS Core Values Scholarship, now enrolled at Wellesley college, told us:

“I’m just a kid from Scottsdale—not Cambridge. I lived in that beautiful desert city until I was 17, when I won a scholarship to study abroad in the Netherlands. After a year abroad, I didn’t want to go back to the life I had always known, so I moved to Cambridge. Leaving everything behind only showed me the potential of what lay ahead of me. In these last two years I have learned that what keeps me moving forward are the unique relationships I create wherever I go. I have also discovered some of my passions, such as learning languages, writing, reading, and interacting with different cultures. I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that I’ll be spending the next chapter at Wellesley College, where I hope to make a difference.”

Congratulations, Alex and thank you for exemplifying the CRLS core values of Opportunity, Diversity, Respect!

Soliana, recipient of the first annual Cambridge Seven STEAM Award, now enrolled at UMass Lowell, told us:

“For my undergraduate study, I want to major in biomedical engineering, and for my graduate degree, I want to attend a medical school. I want to invent a device or medicine that can save many people. I also envision myself as a doctor working with people who are dealing with a different kind of illness such as cancer, diabetes, or strokes to help them adjust to their lives. Not only do I want to help the people within my community, but I also want to travel to different parts of the world and save as many lives as I can. My main agenda is to provide easy access to healthcare.”

Congratulations, Soliana!

Jacob, the CRLS Class of 2018 recipient of the “100 by 100” Cambridge Business Community
STEAM Award for Technology, now enrolled at the University of California Santa Cruz, told us:

“Computer science appeals to me because it is rigorously logical: to program you have to think
ahead, anticipating how instructions will interact, thus one can optimize a program’s efficiency.
One of the reasons I want to become an electrical and computer engineer is because I love
solving problems. I hope by studying the interactions between hardware and software I will have
the training and background to help develop more power-efficient operating systems for phones
and laptops, so that they use less electricity and are more sustainable.”

Congratulations, Jacob!

Yigermal, the CRLS Class of 2018 recipient of the “100 by 100” Cambridge Business Community
STEAM Award for Engineering, now enrolled at UMass Dartmouth, told us:

“As a kid when I was growing up in Ethiopia, I become very interested in engineering. When I was
small, I watched an engineering crew build roads in my isolated village. Because of the new
roads, the village transformed into a thriving community as new stores and businesses opened
up. That experience inspired me to learn about engineering so that I can change the lives of
others. In my junior year at CRLS, I started to take engineering, which gave me an idea of what I
want to study as a major. In the end, I became more interested in electrical engineering than
anything else. My two years in Engineering at CRLS increased my desire to learn more and study
an engineering discipline in college.”

Congratulations, Yigermal!

Smarika, CRLS Class of 2018 recipient of the Rose & Victor Rifkin Family Scholarship, now
enrolled at the College of the Holy Cross, told us:

“I have been drawn to history since fourth grade. I was a voracious reader and consumed every
piece of literature about the ancient world that I managed to get my hands on. I had always been
encouraged to pursue higher learning, but I knew even then that I would not be satisfied unless I
had a career in the field of history. I could not imagine not being in school, reading, analyzing,
and discussing different narratives, so I decided to dedicate my learning toward becoming a
history professor. Teaching history would not only allow me to explore my passion, but it would
also fulfill my dream of helping others. The opportunities I have been given in life have made it
possible for me to discover what fascinates me and, having been born and raised for my first five
years in Nepal, I hope to one day teach abroad and give the same opportunity to another
deserving child.”

Congratulations, Smarika!