rideau hall foundation’s ingenious+ innovation challenge
The Rideau Hall Foundation's Innovation Challenge is a national competition open to Canadian youth aged 14–18, recognizing projects that demonstrate creativity, impact, and potential through expert panel evaluation. As one of 29 regional winners in B.C. & Yukon, I was awarded $1,000 for Shared With Care, a multi-year initiative I developed to combat educational inequity by distributing custom learning kits and digital resources to over 500 underserved youth globally. The application process required comprehensive documentation of the project's development, measurable community impact, and future vision, which I prepared by showcasing years of grassroots outreach, partnerships with local organizations, and data on student engagement outcomes. The Ingenious+ award is going toward expanding STEM workshops, further empowering marginalized communities, and inspiring the next generation of innovators, thinkers, and leaders.
Bold journey magazine
Featured in their "Purpose" section, I shared my journey from witnessing poverty in Manila at nine years old to founding Shared With Care, a global initiative combating educational inequity. My interview explored how those early experiences shaped my commitment to using my privilege and skills to create tangible change, distributing custom learning kits and digital resources to over 500 underserved youth across the Philippines, India, and beyond. I discussed how purpose is not only about intention but about consistent action, from organizing STEM workshops to building sustainable partnerships with local communities.
Canada-Wide Science fair
Only 2-5% of participants qualify for the Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF) through rigorous regional competitions, and among over 400 projects competing nationally, exactly 10 per division—approximately 2.5%—are awarded Gold medals by PhD-level STEM judges evaluating scientific methodology, originality, and societal impact. Beyond the competition itself, CWSF was an enriching experience that connected me with hundreds of young scientists and changemakers from across Canada. We spent the week exchanging ideas, challenging each other's methodologies, and realizing that we weren't alone in wanting to use science to address global challenges, reinforcing the power of youth-driven innovation to create meaningful change in our communities and beyond.
surrey now-leader: south fraser regional science fair (SFRSF)
At the Synergy & Fraser Regional Science Fair hosted at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, I earned a Gold medal and was one of only two projects awarded the Genome BC Award, along with the Dr. McManus Award and a nomination for the Genome BC Scholarship. I dedicated seven months to intensive research optimizing universal influenza vaccine efficacy through advanced bioinformatics, supported by mentorship from UC San Diego and the Boz Life Science Institute.