Where Are They Now? — Past Years

In his senior year at Drexel, Kian has been writing songs “with feverish intensity.” He has been working on a music project that he considers to be his best work to date.

The Garwin Family Foundation celebrates alumni GFF scholarship recipients Gabriela Benyas, Eric Dollinger, and Anjalika Mohanty, who have successfully completed their studies.

Rea Yoh, a junior at Brown University, has been busy finding innovative ways to complete her school work during quarantine. She has been taking upper level biology courses in molecular and cell biology and biochemistry. She is also taking courses outside of her usual area of study, such as Community Ecology. Since many of her classes are computation-based, Rea has learned how to use the “R” programming language. “It’s been challenging due to my lack of background in computer science, but having to complete projects for my classes has really given me a good understanding for what I can do,” Rea reports.

Arkaprabha Kolay has been busy with science and math projects this year. In early March, he participated in a Science Fair at Southern Illinois University (SIU) in Carbondale, Illinois. His project involved the Spectroscopic Study of Natural Plant-Based pH Indicators.

Zeyad Moustafa is completing his sophomore year at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he has been studying computer science. ”Most of my time is occupied by my (now-online) coursework, which consists of a mix of computer science courses and some natural sciences like organic chemistry and biology,” Zeyad says.

While in quarantine, Gabriela officially graduated from CCHS and is hoping that a graduation ceremony will be possible sometime in the future. Meanwhile, Gabriela is preparing for college and has been studying for her AP tests. “I am still taking all of my school work pretty seriously—studying for all of my AP tests and doing Zoom English meetings when I can… I’m still enrolled in Introduction to Differential Equations at SIU, and I just had a test on Monday,” Gabriela reports.

Emily has been busy with many activities and projects since we last caught up with her. She has been attending the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) since Fall of 2019. While there she attended a homecoming pep rally, dance, a Lunar New Year Festival, and carnival with friends.

While in quarantine due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Maya has been keeping busy with her school work in English, Biology, and French via Zoom meetings.

Longmei has been busy with a variety of projects. As a student of Carbondale Community High School (CCHS), she participated in a Science Fair at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. Her project was named “Testing the Effectiveness of Antibiotics in Different Environments.”