Elizabeth Sun, our founder of Illumony, is currently attending MIT after graduating from TJHSST’s (TJ) Class of 2021.
Her passion for STEM began after joining an afterschool club in third grade, and was welcomed into the exciting world of math and science. Starting in fifth grade, she began participating in math competitions such as MathCounts, the AMC/AIME series and Math Kangaroo, as well as science events such as Science Olympiad and the science fair. She previously served as the finance officer of TJ’s Varsity Math Team (VMT) and conducted her own research in biotechnology at TJ’s Jefferson Underclassmen Multidisciplinary Project Lab.
As an avid reader and writer, she was also an active staff writer of tjTODAY, TJ’s school- wide student news online and print publication. She published more than 22 articles on tjTODAY.org and in the monthly print magazine. In her final year at TJ, she proudly led the Social Media Team during. In her free time, she enjoys writing poetry, listening to music, and baking.
“I think the amount of exposure to STEM at a young age isn’t emphasized enough,” she said when she was interviewed by tjTODAY. “I was fortunate enough to grow up in an environment rich with opportunities that allowed me the freedom to explore topics I found interesting, but there are so many kids who don’t have those opportunities that I want to connect with.”
As the founder of Illumony, she oversees all projects and directs the team in carrying out their ideas. She recognizes that the next generation will lead at the frontier of mathematical and scientific innovation. Through her work in the community, she hopes to see her own drive and curiosity reflected in the eyes of the future.
Joshua Fu is attending University of Virginia after graduating from TJHSST. He was the Chief Community Officer for Illumony, which entails reaching out to schools as well as maintaining communication with them. Joshua has participated in academic competitions during middle school and including MathCounts, ARML, and the AMC's. Furthermore, he was involved in several volunteer groups abroad before pertaining to teaching and spreading cultural awareness. He enjoys reading fiction, particularly fantasy, novels and exploring new ideas in the modern world in his free time.
Ethan Zhang is a Senior at TJHSST and the Chief Executive Officer at Illumony. He is enthusiastic about
the fields of computer science and math, honing skills in various contests such as AMC/AIME, USACO, ACSL,
Cyberpatriot etc. Starting from zero programming experience before high school, Ethan has earned USACO
gold status and is versed in several programming languages. He is a co-captain of a TJ Cyberpatriot team
that he has co-founded from since middle school, the team are all attendeding the same high school and
qualified for the platinium level three years in a row. In his Junior year, Ethan starts exploring
Artificial Intelligence, enjoys researching about machine learning theory and building AI models
for solving some difficult problems. Apart from the STEM enrichment endeavors, Ethan has also been
interested in promoting STEM in business and finance. He is part of a high school team attending several
of the technology innovation challenges, and anticipates applying AI and data analysis knowledge in these
business competitions.
When volunteering at elementary schools to help younger students with STEM, Ethan realized that the
educational opportunities and resources he received are not available to many students in the community.
He joined Illumony to help share his passion for computer science and math via tutoring, he is happy that
his courses on Python, Java programming have influenced many young students to start on the computer science field.
As the CEO of Illumony, Ethan is responsible for working with the team to create and succeed in missions.
Outside of school, Ethan enjoys reading, playing saxophone, playing ice hockey and skateboarding.
Curtis Ji is attending College of William Mary after graduating from TJHSST. He was the Chief Technology Officer for Illumony, managed the website and the technical backend of the operation. Furthermore, he was a volunteer Computer Science teacher, and helped pass on his knowledge to the next generation of computer programmers. He was also an assistant instructor at Fairfax Collegiate, and was inspired by the love of learning he saw in his pupils to help spread that knowledge through free initiatives to reach more people. A Captain and Varsity level runner of the Thomas Jefferson Track Team, Curtis realized that a lot of people wish to learn more information, but simply lack the means to access reliable information. Thus, Curtis now works with Illumony to help provide knowledge in order to inspire the next generation of learners. In his free time, he enjoys reading nonfiction, particularly about WWII and keeping up with new technological innovations.
Kevin Zhang, attending Columbia University after graduating from TJHSST, was the Chief Marketing Officer of Illumony. He was a proud member of the math and physics team at TJHSST, which he utilizes as outlets to share the elegance of both fields. Encouraged by the excitement of new discoveries, he continues to explore STEM by reading books and adding numbers. He remarks that "even as children, we have an innate sense of the largeness of numbers or the blueness of the ocean, and science is a beautiful way of communicating these abstract ideas." Inspired by his academic upbringing, Zhang works with Illumony to spread scientific curiosity to a diverse audience by showcasing the joy/teamwork in STEM and empowering future pioneers. In his free time, he likes to count by 17s and solve the even-numbered clues to the daily NYT crossword puzzle.
Derek Dong, attending Yale university after graduating from TJHSST, was the Chief Strategy Officer of Illumony. He enjoys doing math for fun. Starting as early as
elementary school, he has been a participant in math competitions like MathCounts and the AMCs.
In high school, he has had the honor of representing TJ at math contests across the nation and
wants to provide the opportunity for more people to discover the allure of math often absent in
traditional curriculums. To that effect, he serves as the statistician of TJ’s Varsity Math Team
and is in his second year of co-teaching a middle school math club. Dong especially enjoys seeing
each student in the class energetically display their unique personalities as they learn novel and
unexpected mathematical concepts.
“To a lot of people, math is something mechanical that’s meant to
be memorized for a test and forgotten shortly afterwards. But it’s really a way of thinking that’s
objective and carefully reasoned out, while still actively involving a creative mindset,” Dong said.
Besides math, Dong enjoys working on computer science and more recently has become engaged in TJ’s
Urban Dance Movement. He attributes his success in the former, such as qualifying for the Platinum
division of the USA Computing Olympiad, to the fundamental reasoning skills he acquired from math.
Dong favors Python and Java, but he is also familiar with C++, C, and LaTeX typesetting. Dong recognizes
that he has had many opportunities afforded to him in his development mathematically and personally,
and wants to provide service to his local community in return through Illumony. In the future, he
wants to study mathematics and machine learning and additionally volunteer his services to the
competition math world he has enjoyed for so long.
Aaliya Hussain, attending MIT after graduating from TJHSST, was the Chief Finance Officer of Illumony. She appreciates all things biology- and chemistry-related. A proud competitor
in the Science, USA Biology, and US National Chemistry Olympiads, she credits public library summer programs
for her deep interest in science. “The kind librarians we ho madslime with borax and glue and volcanoes with
vinegar and baking soda were the ones who first inspired me to study science,” she recalls. Her mission at
Illumony is to repay the generosity she has received by providing STEM enrichment opportunities to underprivileged children.
In her spare time, Hussain enjoys skimming news headlines, searching for the next great novel to read, and flipping through science magazines.
Tiffany Cheng is attending University of Chicago after graduating from TJHSST and was an active volunteer of Illumony. At a young age, she was fascinated by the field of STEM. In order to pursue her interests, she started to focus on competition math, participating in competitions such as MathCounts and AMC/AIME series. Here at TJ, she continues this enthusiasm through her choice of classes and after school activities, signing up for advanced science-based courses in biology, chemistry, and physics, as well as lab-based courses such as DNA Science. Also a passionate presenter, Cheng is also the publicist of the TJ Public Forum Debate Team. Knowing that children in the same community do not have access to the same opportunities as she does, she currently sponsors the debate team at Holmes Middle School. Yet, hoping to introduce STEM to those in similar situations, she decided to volunteer at Illumony and provide them an opportunity to enjoy the activities she considers are worth a lifetime.
Mirza Hilal Hussain is attending MIT after graduating from TJHSST at 2022. He was the Chief Executive Officer of Illumony. Ever since he was chosen to be part of his elementary school’s math team, he has been intrigued by all the fields of mathematics. Throughout elementary and middle school, he participated in and earned distinctions for many math competitions, including MathCounts, the AMC series, and Mathleague. Now, as a co-captain of TJ’s Varsity Math Team, he is proud of being able to represent his school in various college contests throughout the country as well as grateful for the opportunity to spread his love of math to others.
As the CEO of Illumony, he was responsible for arranging and managing Illumony’s many programs, networking throughout the organization, and, of course, creating and teaching courses as part of the organization’s mission to support a multitude of communities.
Volunteering and math are just a few of Hilal’s numerous interests. He is a captain of the Varsity Football Team at his school and a co-founder of Macro Mania, his school’s macroeconomics club. Additionally, his fascination with the connections between math and computer science has led him to become proficient in many languages and qualify for the USACO gold division.
When he’s not busy with his schoolwork or activities, Hilal enjoys lifting, playing football, practicing his violin, and learning about the world’s economy.
Victoria Li is attending Harvard after graduating from Langley High School and a volunteer for history and humanities subjects at Illumony. Since the age of five,
she has been involved in studio art and has won regional and state levels of recognition for her art pieces. Her almost lifelong engagement with
the arts led to a passion for creativity and exploration, especially in reading and language, as reflected in Victoria’s participation in Speech
and Debate. As a captain of Langley Speech and Debate, she competes in both Junior Varsity Public Forum and Varsity Lincoln Douglas debates, as
well as Original Oratory speeches - placing first at regionals. Although interested in humanities, she is no less enthusiastic about math and sciences.
She is a Science Olympiad captain and the secretary of Math Honor Society.
Being fortunate enough to have access to resources and mentors, she recognized
the importance of opportunity and potential in the community, and she wishes to do her part in uplifting the community in the small ways she knows best.
In her non-academic time, she often helps out with her family restaurant, eat good food, listen to good music, and doodle creatures of the imagination.
Justin Chen is attending NYU Stern after graduating from TJHSST 2022. His main interests are computer science and economics. He is the public representative of TJ Quizbowl and TJ History Bowl, where he manages the clubs' Facebook pages and posts announcements to future recruits. He is also interested in statistics, algebra, web design, and finance.
Victoria Chen is attending MIT after graudating from TJHSST 2022. When the Covid-19 crisis began, Victoria realized she is one of the privileged students who have access to medical help and supplies. As the publicist of TJ’s UNICEF club and as a member of the global community, Victoria felt obligated to help by offering her knowledge and expertise to Illumony. In addition to serving the community, Victoria loves to teach. Being TJ Art Club’s Activities Coordinator allows her to conduct demos and give presentations about her passions.
As a biology connoisseur, Victoria has taken AP Biology and is planning to take Neurobiology
and Marine Biology this coming year. She has also participated and competed in many biology-focused
Science Olympiad events, like Potions and Poisons and Bio-Process Lab. Further, Victoria is aware
of the difficulties that come with online learning and is familiar with many graphics programs and
applications that will combat these difficulties and enhance the learning process.
Michelle Lin is a student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Mclean, Virginia. She has been passionate about STEM from a young age and hopes to inspire other students in STEM. She has qualified for AIME since middle school and attended the Math Prize for Girls competition. Outside of math, she is an avid golfer and enjoys creative writing along with coding.
Hedy is a Rising Junior at Sidwell Friends School in Washington DC. She has always held a passion for math, science, and art, even from a young age. This developed into Hedy’s great interest in architecture and engineering, becoming the Founder and Co-Head of her school’s STEM and Design Club, organized to spread her love for the field. While being a Representative for Sidwell’s Student Ambassador Leadership Team and an active member of the Model United Nations Club, Hedy has strong interpersonal skills which assist in her desire to spread knowledge to her community. She aspires to use her abilities to encourage and become a role model for students interested in STEM. In her free time, Hedy enjoys painting, drawing, and music.
Anna Wang is a freshman at McLean High School. She has a deep passion for STEM, math especially. Since middle school, Anna has been involved in countless mathematical competitions, including ARML, MATHCOUNTS, and AMC/AIME. She achieved a perfect score on the 2022 AMC8 in 7th grade and has qualified for AIME every year since ever since then. Additionally, she has been awarded the 2022-2023 Maryam Mirzakhani AMC 10 A Certificate of Excellence. At school, she is currently taking AP Calculus AB as a freshman. Outside of academics, Anna has a keen interest in playing the violin. She has been part of AYPO (American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras) for the past five years. Additionally, she is in Music Buddies, a program which connects elementary school students to high school students for free one-on-one musical mentoring. Anna also enjoys partaking in the Red Cross Club, where she and other club members hold fundraisers and events to raise awareness about community needs. She has always been involved in helping her community achieve for the better. When not thinking about math or practicing her instrument, you can find Anna learning about skincare, listening to music, and watching dramas.
Kai Wang is currently a Junior at TJHSST. He truly enjoys science and math and is highly interested in studying it more. Kai started competitive math at sixth grade. He continued to work hard and improve upon his logic and quantitative abilities. He has since competed in the AMC series, including the AMC 8 and the AMC 10. He has also competed in Mathcounts and the Math Kangaroo competition. He is very dedicated to STEM and hopes to use TJ’s amazing resources to help guide him along his chosen path. He hopes to do well in debate and other scientific clubs. Kai also has been playing instruments, including the piano and the cello which he now plays, since he was very young.
Andrew Sheng is attending CMU after graudating from BASIS Independent Mclean 2022. He is a natural team player with demonstrated leadership skills: highly dependable and diligent in building trust and consensus among teams. He is disciplined, focused, an avid listener and fast learner, creative, and solution driven. Andrew is always positive and enthusiastic no matter the situation. He hopes to serve and give back to the community as well as learn from the enjoyment of teaching others. He is also an active participant in the Model UN Club, Economics Club, and Biology Club at BASIS. He enjoys playing lacrosse, rugby, swimming, and wrestling. Andrew has committed to over 200 hours per year of volunteer/community service, including adopt-a-highway, food drives, Eagle Projects, and camping advisory.
Jeanie Qi is attending University of Michigan after graduating from TJHSST 2022. I have always had a passion for math and as a kid, I continuously sought out extra opportunities to improve my skills. However, I understand that not everyone has the accessibility to all the costly tutoring that I had the privilege to receive. That is why I would love to help out the community and share my knowledge and experience with younger generations to encourage interests in the mathematics field. I particularly love to teach Algebra I, but I am available to help tutor anyone below AP BC Calc, which is the math course I am currently enrolled in at TJ.
Sonny Chen is currently a student at TJHSST. He is friendly and helpful with the people around him as he has a great sense of humor and enjoys interacting with and teaching children. He is always enthusiastic about learning and always trying to be better. He's also a fast learner and a quick thinker. Sonny also has an AMC 8 score of 22, a Math Kangaroo score of 132/140, which demonstrates his proficiency of problem solving. He is currently taking Calculus BC in 9th grade, showing a strong foundation of school math. He is also passionate about computer science, and has achieved Oracle Java 8 Programmer 1 Certification with an 87%, showing mastery of the fundamentals of Java.
Taohan Lin is a Junior at TJHSST. He likes math and science. He received awards in math and science competitions, such as AMC, MathCounts, Math Kangaroo, and Science Olympiad. He volunteered at the Children’s Science Center Lab to help elementary and preschool students with hands-on STEM activities. He likes sharing knowledge and nurturing young minds in the love of math, a subject he has enjoyed for a long time.
Alexander Yao is a senior at TJHSST and Chief Technology Officer at Illumony. He has been passionate about STEM since elementary school and has become a long-time participant in math competitions such as the AMC and the AIME, occasionally representing TJHSST at high school math competitions such as MMATHS and Duke Math Meet. In addition, he also has a passion for artificial intelligence, excelling in both computer science courses at school and doing research at home, which he later published under the mentorship of a college professor.
Jeffrey Chen is currently a senior at TJHSST. He first delved into STEM in 6th grade, joining and competing with his middle school math team. He found his passion in math, and by 8th grade, he had become the captain of his middle school Mathcounts team, and placed statewide. Since he entered high school, he has continued to pursue his interests as a member of both the TJ Varsity Math Team and Physics Team, participating in nationwide competitions like the AMC, AIME, ARML, HMMT, and CMIMC. He is also a member of a Cyberpatriot team with fellow classmates, which has qualified for the platinum tier three years in a row. In school, he has furthered his education in math, physics, and computer science courses. Through Illumony, he hopes to be able to help his community, share his knowledge, and inspire the same passion that he discovered in middle school with young students.
Amy Chen is a Senior at TJHSST who hopes to increase young women’s love for STEM. In elementary school, she was a part of a Girls in STEM outreach program; the program conducted fun experiments, like the rocket lab, which contributed to why she chose to attend TJ in the first place. Now, almost a decade later, Amy hopes to share these same experiences with a new generation of young women. At TJ, Amy is the Engineering President for WISE, a volunteer program that conducts labs for fourth-grade girls from Weyanoke Elementary School. The program not only allows young girls to become interested in science but also exposes these young girls to female role models whom they will look up to as they grow up. Amy believes that one important contributor to the lack of women in STEM is the idea that STEM is for boys, not girls. At Illumony, Amy hopes to create and conduct programs and experiments for young women to create a welcoming environment for girls interested in STEM. These programs will provide young girls the ability to gain new knowledge of STEM, ranging from Scratch coding to candy DNA helices, and gain new long-lasting friendships with other people who share the same interests. Outside of STEM outreach, she is a member of TJ’s Policy Debate Team and a member of TJ’s Varsity Swim Team. These latter experiences, especially the debate team, have accelerated her personal growth through the learning of social inequity regarding women’s education, a meaningful message she hopes to share with others at Illumony.
Ruby Chen is a senior from McLean High School. Ever since she was young, she always has a passion for biology and computer science. In High School, she has taken numerous advanced courses such as AP Computer Science A, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics 1. After taking almost all the available advanced STEM classes offered to her in school, she looked outside of school to fulfill her curiosities. However, she realized the difficulties of finding affordable opportunities outside of class for students that are interested in STEM. Having benefited tremendously from free online resources, she is passionate about spreading the knowledge to other students like her. Through Illumony, Ruby wants to share the joy of learning biology and computer science to other students, and encourage them to find their own passion.
Larry Wang is a rising junior in Oakton High School, where he strives to keep on learning on his most favored subjects: math, computer science, and history. In school, Larry is in numerous academic clubs such as debate and the math team. Moreover, he's also in sporting clubs such as T&F, Cross Country, and soccer. As a dedicated member of the Oakton Public Forum Debate Club, Larry actively engages with debate members to explore endless debate options and participate in prestigious competitions such as WACFL and the Penn State Debate Tournament. Furthermore, as a dedicated future captain of the varsity Oakton Soccer Team, I encourage and help fellow teammates to compete in a flawless spring season. With a deep interest in math and computer science, he has partnered up with professors in Georgetown University to apply his knowledge onto a newfound skill: machine learning. Lastly, he thrives on the opportunity to apply his skills and expand his knowledge base. Outside of his academic pursuits, Larry enjoys listening to music, playing basketball, playing chess, and being actively fit.
Meredith Yu is a junior at Langley High School with a vivid fascination for language arts, history, and writing. From a young age, she has fostered a profound appreciation for the art of developing various methods of idea expression, from interpretive dances to formal essay writing. Meredith's main goal-to help her peers understand the significance of effective idea communication- manifests in the work she puts towards organizations dedicated to helping students better express their ideas such as the Saxon Writing Center and the Langley Graphic Design Club (presidency), as well as her positive, adaptive mindset towards some of the most difficult writing based AP classes (such as AP US History and AP English Language) offered at her school. Meredith also runs the Langley Psychology Olympiad (a contender for the international stage), has received a competitive score in the 2024 Mathcounts competition, and demonstrates her profound passion for art by accumulating distinguished awards on a regional, statewide, and national level from prestigious competitions and compliments from highly distinguished judges. Outside of school, Meredith enjoys learning more about the world by listening to the many stories people she attracted with her art have to tell, experiencing the adrenaline rush of going head to head with some of the best volleyball teams in the country, being silly, and admiring the simple yet beautiful things life has to offer. At Illumony, Meredith aspires to advocate essential life skills by encouraging others to courageously elucidate their ideas, nurture critical thiing (especially in lieu of today's media literacy crisis), and buttress fundamental writing skill.
David Cao is a student at Thomas Jefferson High School who is motivated and passionate to help others and is seeking volunteer opportunities to tutor math, science olympiad, or chess. Hehas won many awards including 2019 Science Olympiad school state champion, nationally 8th place, many 1st to 3rd awards for Science Olympiad state, regional and invitational competition.David has consistently been on the honor roll for AMC 10 and 8, and was also part of the Math Count school team to win regional 2nd place in elementary group and ranked 7th nationally in the 2018 Math Kangaroo. In 2017-2018 he was the Garden Chess Cup champion and was also an active member of the National Junior Honor Society 2019.
David Wei is a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST). He is currently the Chief Executive Officer at Illumony, last year having served as Illumony’s Chief Academic Officer. Since freshman year, David has been actively involved in Illumony activities, teaching math to students of all age groups and inspiring underprivileged communities to pursue passions in math.
Since an early age, David has found a source of energy in solving intriguing math problems and exploring further in the field of mathematics. He was a dedicated member of the Mathcounts team in elementary and middle school, seeing it as an outlet to express his energy for math. Currently, as an active member of TJHSST’s Varsity Math Team, David enjoys talking with friends about math and being a part of this wonderful community of other math enthusiasts. David’s love of math has driven him to participate in many math competitions such as the AIME, USAMO, Harvard MIT Math Tournament (HMMT), American Regional Math League (ARML), Princeton University Math Competition (PUMaC), Berkeley Math Tournament (BMT), and Duke Math Meet (DMM). Beyond personal experience, David’s passion for math has also motivated him to inspire his peers to see the beauty in math as well. In TJHSST’s Varsity Math Team, David enjoys teaching others about unique math topics and spreading his math experience to others.
David has also found interest in physics, seeing it as a perfect way of how math is applied in the real world. He has participated in physics competitions including the F=ma and the USAPhO, achieving a silver medal. Currently, David serves as an officer of TJHSST’s Physics Team and is excited to have the opportunity to help students enjoy physics as much as he does.
Math and physics are only a few of David’s interests. He also enjoys computer science, having participated in competitions including USACO and ACSL. He is proficient in Python, Java, and C++, as well as LaTeX, a math typesetting software.
Outside of academics, David enjoys running, playing basketball, and playing the cello.
Angeline Zhao is a senior at Phillips Academy Andover, and is deeply involved in mathematics. She has received an Honorable Mention on the USAMO and the USAJMO, as well as a Bronze Medal at the Math Prize for Girls Olympiad. She is also President of the Phillips Academy Math Club and Tournament Director of the Math Open at Andover, an annual student-run competition for younger students interested in mathematics. Besides mathematics, Angeline enjoys statistics and public policy, as well as journalism and law. In her free time, she loves reading new books, playing card games, and bingeing TV shows.
Angeline has always loved teaching and learning with other students since beginning her work at Illumony in seventh grade. As Chief Executive Officer of Illumony, she hopes to make a difference in her community by providing resources that encourage students to discover and explore their own love for learning.
Max Yan is currently a Senior at TJHSST, and the Chief Information Officer at Illumony. He loves math, and since middle school, Max has participated in numerous competitions, such as American Regions Mathematics League, HMMT, Carnegie Mellon Informatics and Mathematics Competition, and many more. He earned a perfect score on the 2019 AMC 8 and has qualified for AIME since 7th grade. He was on Mathcounts State Team for two consecutive years and earned first place in the 2019 VA Mathcounts State Championship. Max also loves learning and teaching higher-level math. He took AP Calculus BC in 8th grade, and he continued pursuing higher-level classes at TJHSST including Complex Analysis and Elementary Differential Equations. Furthermore, Max has tutored students and taught numerous group classes in a wide range of math levels, such as different levels of elementary school math, Pre-algebra, Algebra 1 and 2, Geometry, Precalculus, and Calculus.
Aside from his mathematical interests, Max also pursues interests in data analysis and law. Max has been conducting Statistical Genetics research under the supervision of Prof. Ma from the University of Maryland since the summer of 2021, and has also started as a Data Analytics Intern in SLCG Economic Consulting in the summer of 2022. During the summer of 2023, he also completed a mentorship with Dr. Koch on GIS systems and weather. Max also took a precollege class at Cornell on US Law and Legal Systems, receiving the highest grade in the class attainable. Max hopes to help and inspire younger children who have interests in STEM through Illumony. In his free time, Max also enjoys swimming, coaching swimming, playing the flute, and playing chess.
Alina Chen is a junior at TJHSST and is the Chief Girls in STEM Officer at Illumony. She enjoys solving math problems, learning about financial technology, and reading about politics. I have participated in several math competitions, such as MATHCOUNTS, AIME, MPFG, BMT, and ARML. She is also a nationally ranked debater and loves learning about current events. She is a part of TJ's Varsity Math Team, TJ's Public Forum Debate Team, and TJ's Physics Team. I love sharing my interests with others, and I am working to destroy the financial barriers that prevent many young students from participating in the activities they are passionate about. Outside of academics, Alina likes listening to music, reading about true crime and criminal psychology, and watching shows.
Alyssa McGowan is a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST). She is the Chief Operating Officer of Illumony. She is passionate about STEM, with a particular interest in computer science. She pursues her interests by actively engaging in various clubs at TJHSST, including the Machine Learning Club, Senior Computer Team, and Rocketry Club. Moreover, she competes in contests such as American Computer Science League (ACSL), USA Computing Olympiad (USACO), and the American Rocketry Challenge. Since her sophomore year, Alyssa has been a research intern at the SAGE Research Lab in George Mason University's Computer Science Department. Under the mentorship of Dr. Kevin Moran, she investigates machine learning and software engineering research. She is proficient in Python, Java, C++, and web development and has tutored students in computer science. She aspires to share her knowledge and passion for STEM and computer science with her community. In her free time, she enjoys painting, digital animation, and listening to music.
Marina Lin is a senior at TJHSST and the Chief Marketing Officer at Illumony. She discovered her passion for math at a young age and has participated in numerous math events, including MathCounts Nationals and AMC. Qualifying for AIME since middle school, she took part in Math Prize for Girls at MIT, USA(J)MO, and was a member of the first-place team at Girls in Math at Yale. Marina served as the Finance Officer of TJ’s Varsity Math Team and Co-Captain of TJ's Computer Team. She represents her school at HMMT, CMIMC, ARML, PUMaC, and BMT, and is excited to share her enthusiasm for STEM with others. Furthermore, Marina is an avid golfer who competes at the national level and is the Captain of the Varsity Golf Team at her school. She enjoys playing badminton, ultimate frisbee, and writing. Through Illumony, she hopes to inspire other students with a passion for STEM.
Taohan Lin is a rising senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science. He is deeply interested in physics and he is co-captain of the TJ Physics Team. He excels at explaining difficult concepts in simpler terms, and works extensively in AP Physics preparation and tutoring. He has also expanded his interest in physics and combined it with computer science, interning at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory since 2022, focusing on quantum information science under Dr. Paraj Titum. He has extensively researched noise mitigation techniques and he is currently delving into quantum sensing. Taohan is adept in several programming languages including Java, Python, and C++. He took Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision as well as competed in the USACO competitions. Moreover, Taohan is also very involved in chemistry, acting as Captain for the TJ Chemistry Team. With his proficiency in Organic Chemistry, AP Chemistry, and USNCO topics, he frequently lectures on these subjects in the TJ Chemistry Team. As Chief Academic Officer (CAO) at Illumony, Taohan aspires to leverage his extensive knowledge and skills to encourage younger students to explore and appreciate the wonders of STEM, just as he has done. Outside the realm of academics, Taohan enjoys cycling and has a fondness for music.
Luhan is a Senior at James Madison High School. He is passionate about taking STEM courses and enjoys helping others. At school, he spends his free time in the Warhawk Tutor Center helping students who struggle with math and physics. He also enjoys collaborating with others solving real-world engineering problems. He serves in JMHS FRC Robotics Team as fabricating and programming specialist. Having grown up in China enables him to be fluent in Chinese and obtain knowledge in comprehending classical Chinese. He had served as a power forward in his middle school Boy’s Basketball Team and Handler in the Ultimate Frisbee Team in his early high school years. In addition to his passion for sports, he also plays Classical Guitar and played in the school talent show in 7th grade. Luhan hopes to share his passion and knowledge in STEM and Chinese Culture with his community by participating in Illumony.
Yunhan(Helen) Tong is a sophomore at McLean High School. She has a great passion for STEM, especially math and computer science. Currently, she is taking Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra as a sophomore and exhibits strong math skills. Helen enjoys participating in various math competitions such as AMC, DMM, CMIMC, ARML, and HMMT with the MHS math team. She qualified AIME and achieved 6th place in DMM with the team. Helen also started exploring competitive programming this year and qualified for the USACO silver division. Helen always tries to contribute in making her community better. Besides academic achievements, Helen is an enthusiastic person in life and enjoys a lot of interests. She loves music and has played the piano for ten years. She also enjoys doing sports, including basketball and track.
Phoebe Pan is a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ), where her passion for STEM flourishes. She has a particular interest in biology and computer science, which she explores through active participation in several clubs at TJ, including Science Olympiad, Biology Olympiad, and Bioinformatics Club. Moreover, she competes in contests such as the USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) and British Biology Olympiad (BBO). Phoebe is proficient in Python, Java, and web development. She strives to share her passion for STEM with her community and has tutored students in biology. As Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Illumony, Phoebe aspires to leverage her knowledge and skills to encourage younger students to explore and appreciate the wonders of STEM. In her free time, Phoebe enjoys painting, drawing, playing volleyball, and watching K-dramas.
Aiden Feyerherm is a senior at McLean High School. From a young age, he's been driven by a deep love for mathematics, participating in many competitions, such as National MATHCOUNTS, USAJMO, SMT, CMIMC, HMMT, PUMaC, and ARML. He was part of a team that won first place in multiple nationwide middle school math competitions, and he has qualified for and earned an honorable mention on the USAJMO twice. Since Aiden became the president of the McLean High School Math League in Junior Year, he has led the team to achieve 3rd place at Duke Math Meet, 6th place at online Berkeley Math Tournament, and the first place for team and 2nd place individual in the GMU Calculus Olympiad. In addition to math, Aiden is also a keen participant in competitive programming contests such as USACO, where he competes in the Gold division. His passion for programming led him to co-found the Competitive Programming Club at McLean High School, a platform for like-minded students to explore and hone their coding skills together. Aiden's love for problem-solving doesn't end with math and programming; he also finds physics fascinating because of how it applies mathematical concepts to real-world problems. He received a bronze medal in the 2024 USA Physics Olympiad. Aiden hopes that he will be able to share his passion for math and give back to the community through Illumony. Over the years, he has taught mathematics to students of various age groups at multiple camps, including Vern William's Math Reasoning camp, showing his dedication to inspiring others to develop a love for learning. He believes that teaching is not only about passing on knowledge but also about building a community of learners who can grow together.
Emily Hur is a junior at Langley High School. She has always harbored a deep interest in math and computer science. Starting from middle school, she loved to tutor her friends, explain hard concepts to them, and help them study for tests. She constantly challenges herself with difficult courses, like Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra. She has competed in the FIRST Robotics Competition for 3 years and is currently the Programming Captain for her school’s team. Last year, she won first at a District Event. She primarily writes the code for the robot but also helps with mechanical and electrical tasks. Additionally, she is proficient in Java, Python, and CAD and is involved in various computer science contests, such as CyberPatriot, ACSL, and USACO. Outside of academics, she also competed for her school’s varsity rowing team, won recognition for her artwork, won a gold medal in a national Chinese essay contest, and volunteers with children with disabilities. At Illumony, she strives to help others overcome obstacles and inspire them to continue to pursue STEM in the future.
Chenxi is a sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST). Her passion for STEM started in preschool when she learned about the properties of water. She has competed in MATHCOUNTS since sixth grade, and she was the grader at last year's MATHCOUNTS competition. She has also competed in AMC and is a national winner in Math Kangaroo. She is also passionate about CS and has competed in USACO, and she has coded a teaching program in Code.org for her eighth-grade coding teacher. In addition, she is an avid cheerleader of the TJ Cheer team and is recognized as an All-American Cheerleader. As a member of Illumony, she hopes to help students find their passion in STEM.
Michael Liu is a student at Stone Bridge High School in Loudoun County. He has interests in a wide variety of academic and extracurricular activities, including math, science, computer programming, language, history, geography, music and other activities. He is friendly and easy to work with, and is looking for opportunities to help communities with his knowledge and skills in areas he excels. Michael has been an honor roll student and received many academic awards for his excellence ever since elementary school. He recently received the President’s Education Award in recognition of his outstanding academic excellence in 2023. He has a strong foundation and knowledge in math and other STEM subjects. He is currently taking AP math classes in 9th grade, showing a strong foundation of math in high school. Furthermore, having taken computer science courses since middle school, he demonstrates a strong interest in computer programming, cybersecurity, and robotics. He participated in Cyberpatriot competitions and won a state award as a team recently. Michael also enjoys learning language, history, geography, and culture. He likes to travel and explore different cultures and history. Understanding different cultures and languages is a great way to build connections with people around the world. One of the languages that he is fluent in is Chinese. He was awarded the first prize in the 5th International Youth Chinese & English Essay Contest in 2023. Outside of academics, he has many interests and enjoys learning a variety of subjects. Music has always been one of his passions. He learned piano from a young age and participated in various music festivals and competitions. He passed several piano performance exams with distinction and will take the Grade 8 ABRSM piano exam this summer. He also plays euphonium in his school’s marching band while learning the violin and guitar at his leisure. Furthermore, Michael likes biking, practicing karate, and participating in outdoor activities and community service as a member of his Boy Scouts troop. He is excited to be part of Illumony to support the community and to pass his knowledge onto young children through teaching and tutoring!
I am a rising senior at McLean High School. I am interested in all science-related topics and I love conducting fun experiments and reading about new findings in the scientific world. I am particularly passionate about biology and chemistry and am confident about my knowledge and skills in both subjects. I am also an active member of McLean’s Science Olympiad Team as well as the Science National Honor Society. Outside of academics, I engage in sports, volunteering, and many little hobbies. I have been on the McLean Varsity Swim and Dive Team since I was a freshman. I am also a lifeguard shift leader in Fairfax County. In addition, I frequently help out at a local church to organize food and clothes donations. In my free time, I love baking and reading.
Ethan Liu is a senior at Langley High School with a profound fascination in math and computer science. He has found ways to expand his knowledge by competing in the ACSL and working as a research assistant for the SEC, learning how to devise his own solutions to organize large quantities of data efficiently. Not only is he familiar with Python and Java, but he is also exploring SQL through research studies and C# through game development in Unity. He has put his academic prowess to the test, taking on a myriad of diverse AP classes ranging from STEM classes such as Physics 2 and C to social subjects such as Psychology, while accumulating accolades, including nomination as a semifinalist in 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program. As an assistant principal for the Herndon Campus of Hope Chinese School and an active Eagle Scout in his scout troop, he loves being able to plan fun activities and volunteering opportunities for others in order to give back to his community and grant participants respite from the busy hustle and bustle of life. By earning the President's Volunteer Service Award at the Gold level, he hopes to remind himself and others of the importance in being able to provide assistance to people outside of one's inner circle. Some hobbies that he enjoys are reading classic novels, learning how to draw, and biking along trails.
James Xu is a junior at Langley High School, where his passion for mathematics and computer science fuels his academic pursuits and extracurricular activities. With a keen interest in problem-solving, James has established himself as a prominent figure within the school's math and technology communities. As a dedicated officer of the Math Club, Physics, and Informatics Olympiad Club, James actively engages with fellow students to explore challenging mathematical concepts and compete in prestigious competitions. His commitment to excellence in mathematics is evident through his participation in the AMC 10, 12, AIME, and Purple Comet Math competitions, where he consistently demonstrates his proficiency and earns accolades. He is a USAJMO qualifier and received distinguished honor rolls for AMC 10 and 12. James' achievements extend beyond the realm of mathematics. With a deep interest in computer science, he has undertaken innovative research projects, including a notable collaboration with researchers at MIT. He thrives on the opportunity to apply his skills and expand his knowledge base. Outside of his academic pursuits, James enjoys listening to music, playing cello, piano, and basketball.
Jason Hao is a Junior at TJHSST. Through meaningful clubs and classes, Jason has discovered his passion in math, biology, and writing. Part of his school’s math team, he participates in various competitions such as Harvard MIT Math Tournament (HMMT), Princeton University Math Competition (PUMaC), American Regional Math League (ARML), and Duke Math Meet (DMM). In addition, Jason enjoys participating in the AMCs qualifying for the AIME. He also demonstrates an interest in biology, participating in different kinds of competitions. As an officer of his grade’s Class Council, Jason has shown his desire to help his classmates and schoolmates. Involved with the student government since freshman year, he has gained valuable experience working with peers and teachers to make TJ a better school for all of them. In his free time, Jason likes to play basketball, badminton, and the violin.
Andrew is a junior at TJHSST with a passion in research, governance, and mathematics. He currently serves various leadership roles in his school including SGA President and Teaching Coordinator for Public Forum Debate. Andrew is well versed in many coding languages including Python, Java, CSS, HTML, and Kotlin, and proficient in math up to Calculus BC and is currently taking AP Physics E, E&M. Outside of school, Andrew has been conducting independent research at University of Michigan under Prof. Lei Zuo at the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering building, focusing on renewable wave energy engineering and market analysis. He has been consistently working out for over 3 years and loves to go on outings with his Boy Scout Troop!
Harry Han is currently a sophomore at TJHSST who loves learning and having fun in the process. Whenever possible, he tries to help others learn as well. Currently, he is enrolled in Calculus BC and has previously participated in AMC 8 and AMC 10. Moreover, he has competed in Science Olympiad from 5th to 9th grade. He also enjoys coding, using Python/Java to develop his own projects. Harry is passionate about soccer, both playing and watching, particularly supporting his favorite football club, Barcelona. When not occupied with academics or extracurricular activities, he enjoys playing video games such as Pokemon and Legend of Zelda. Additionally, he dedicates time to practicing the tuba, which he plays in TJ Bands.
Jason is a Junior at Chantilly High School with a passion for robotics, engineering, and community service. Jason enjoys competing as a build lead in both VEX and First Tech Challenge robotics, 3D modeling with CAD and Revit in TSA, and serving in a leadership position in Key Club, a global service organization. Jason is well-versed in all aspects of STEM, with expertise in Java, Python, C++, Biology, CAD, Revit, and Calculus. Through these endeavors, Jason has learned the importance of STEM as well as the need for equitable STEM education. Jason is also a dedicated swimmer, swimming for his school's varsity team since his freshman year, receiving collegiate attention. Outside of school, Jason enjoys playing chess, swimming for his summer team, tutoring, conserving his local bluebird population, coaching and playing basketball, and supporting the Washington Wizards.
Jeffrey Yin is a junior at McLean High School. He has a long-lasting interest in solving puzzles, including but not limited to math problems. He has participated in many nation-wide or international math competitions such as AMC, AIME, USAJMO, HMMT, CMIMC, PUMaC, ARML, and SMT. In 2024, he earned the Honors Award for USAJMO and seventh place individual in CMIMC. He currently holds the competition organizer position in McLean High School Math League, with the role of registering McLean's math team for team competitions. In addition, he has basic experience of AMC tutoring, as well as a strong enthusiasm to spread his math knowledge to others. Aside from math, Jeffrey is interested in coding and has qualified for the USACO Gold division. He has a hobby in bridge, and formerly competed in international bridge tournaments. He believes that mathematics is not just about applications in real life such as space exploration or medicine, but also about developing new ways of thinking.
Kalan Warusa is a sophomore at McLean High School. He likes participating in math competitions such as AMC, HMMT, ARML, PUMaC, and CMIMC with his school math team. He has won many awards such as 1st at GMU Calculus Olympiad and 7th at Duke University Math Meet, and is a two-time AIME qualifier. In addition, Kalan is also passionate about creating math problems. He is a problem writer for Solstice Math Olympiads and his problems will be featured in the upcoming 2024 SSMO. Outside of math, he enjoys programming and physics. He is in the USACO Silver division, and he has achieved 1st and 2nd places in the Science Olympiad National Tournament. Kalan also plays the pipe organ and the piano. In his free time, he is fascinated by math games such as Conway's Game of Life. He hopes to share the joy of math with others through Illumony.
Clement Ding is a junior at McLean High School. He enjoys studying physics and has passed the F=ma for two consecutive years, earning an Honorable Mention in the 2024 USAPhO. Due to his love for physics, he also participates in the annual physics bowl competition. In addition, he enjoys participating in the science bowl for the physics, math, and energy subjects. He is also interested in programming, learning Java and Python in his free time. Because of his passion for physics, he has also learned to love math, participating in MHS math club and entering various math competitions, such as SMT, Purple Comet Math Competition, CMIMC, and Duke Math Meet, as well as qualifying for AIME four times since middle school. Besides competing, Clement also aspires to share his love of STEM with others around him by helping his classmates learn math. For the past few years, he has joined several non-profit organizations to tutor English for non-English speakers and try to spread the love back to his community. Furthermore, he also volunteers for SHARE of McLean by doing chores and other work. In his spare time, he enjoys playing chess and socializing with friends.
Jessy Lin is a rising sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. From a young age, she has been particularly interested in neuroscience and biology-related fields. In the past, she has participated in both Science Olympiad and Science Bowl, exploring a wide range of science topics. She was a Math Ambassador in middle school, serving as a daily math tutor for her peers. Currently, Jessy is involved in many school activities relating to her interests and is an Activities Coordinator for the TJHSST Neuroscience Society. Additionally, she is proficient in computer science languages such as Python and Java. Jessy is passionate about STEM and is eager to help younger kids explore their interests in these fields. She is part of her school’s Track and Field team and enjoys listening to music in her free time.
Punav Kheterpal is a Sophomore at TJHSST who has a great interest in STEM and an everlasting passion to teach other students. He was a member of the National Junior Honor Society and presented in many different science fairs. In addition, Punav has won numerous awards, including placing in the Top 6 in several Science Olympiad events and competitions as well as making the 2019 AMC 8 Honor Roll. Punav has displayed his willingness to help others by volunteering with First Lego League (FLL) volunteer organizations from 2016 to 2018 and tutoring for his school from 2016-2018.
Mackenzie Chen is attending UVA after graudation from McLean High School 2022. Since going into high school, she has taken many strides to enhance her appreciation for humanities and encourage others to do the same. She has won multiple awards at many writing competitions, including the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition, the Great Falls Optimist Club Essay Competition, the Virginia PTA Essay Competition, and the Chinese American Parent Association Asian American and Pacific Islander Essay Competition. She has also had experience tutoring many students in essay writing and reading comprehension skills. In school, Mackenzie enjoys writing for the magazine, The Highlander, and for the online publication website as a copy editor and an online opinions editor. During her first year of journalism, she became Editor-in-Chief, where she oversaw the articles of many reporters and approved them for publication. She is also a member of the National English Honor Society, one of the many prestigious honor societies at her school. Going forth, Mackenzie hopes to help future generations understand the importance of diversity and the universal beauty of language.
Mackenzie understands that many students her age do not have the same opportunities to enrich their knowledge in humanities. She understands that while they have the passion and the potential to achieve success, they might not have the chance to execute their goals for the future. Mackenzie understands that to foster the new generation of thinkers and leaders, everyone must be given a fair shot at their dreams. By joining Illumony, she hopes to help underprivileged communities and low-income families have the same chances to work towards their future as other more privileged families do. She hopes that her passion will give her the drive to expand education to children and teenagers from low-income families. One day, she would like to see a world where everyone can achieve their dreams without concern for their backgrounds, their gender, their race, or their social status.
Phoebe is a Senior at McLean High School. She is interested in fashion and interior design, and she loves to travel and explore new things. Phoebe is also a coxswain for McLean Crew, where she has developed leadership skills and an optimistic mindset. She is an active member of her community as she has devoted much her time to clubs and school events. In her junior year, she became a member of the National Honor Society, a nationally recognized and prestigious organization, at her school. Furthermore, Phoebe is fluent in Cantonese and has been interested in foreign languages from a young age. She won the "Pride Award" at McLean during her freshman year for Chinese and a similar award in 8th grade.
Phoebe understands that there are many students in the nation who do not have access to the same opportunities as her, which may make it more difficult for them to follow their passion. Because of this, Phoebe hopes that joining Illumony will enable her to provide support to those less privileged than her. She hopes to make a positive impact on her community by offering them access to more opportunities that will help them achieve their goals. Ultimately, Phoebe hopes that her actions will benefit society and promote a sense of unification in her diverse community.
Oliver Tu is attending Brown University after graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) 2022. He has loved STEM from a very young age. He attended his first math competition in the 3rd grade and later attended some of the most selective math programs, including Math Enrichment Camp and Math Enrichment Weekly Mentoring Sessions, both owned and run by Mr. Vern Williams. He was admitted and completed the Awesome Math Summer Program, the top math competition program, at Cornell University.
He was a member of the TJHSST Varsity Math Team. His team finished 55 th in the nation at the American Regions Mathematics League (ARML) among all competitors in 2009. Since elementary school, he has attended 10+ math competitions around the nation, including ARML, Carnegie Mellow Informatics and Mathematics Competition (CMIMC), Lehigh University Math Competition, Carderock Math Competition, Berkeley Math Tournament, The Exeter Math Club Competition, and MathCounts.
He was also a member of the TJHSST Physics Club. He is proficient in Python and Java and has been volunteering at Hope Chinese School to teach computer science for the past two years. He has also self-taught HTML and Style Sheet.
Through Illumony, he hopes to provide his knowledge, skills, passion, and services to everyone in his community who is interested in improving their STEM skills, as well as hopes to inspire young learners.
He was a captain of the TJHSST Varsity Football Team and a key member for both the offence and defense of the team. He was also a Principal Second Violinist in The Capitol Symphonic Youth Orchestras. In his free time, he enjoys finding new recipes, cooking, and trying different cultural foods.
William Jiang graduated from TJHSST 2022. He has always enjoyed math since he first participated in a math club in 5 th grade. He has participated in many math competitions including MathCounts, the Exeter Math Competition, ARML, and the AMC/AIME series. When he was in Longfellow Middle School, he was the captain of the school’s MathCounts team. He has earned many awards including being a qualifier for the USAJMO. In TJ’s Varsity Math Team, he has lectured several times on various topics. At Illumony, he hopes to inspire children with his passion in math and expose them to topics that they may not have the opportunity to learn in a traditional math class. In his free time, William enjoys reading (in particular history), programming, and hiking.
Patrick Ying is a senior at Langley High School and the Chief First-Generation & Low-Income Programs Officer at Illumony. Since freshman year, Patrick has been actively involved in Illumony activities, teaching math to students who are struggling but couldn’t afford private tutors. Since an early age, Patrick has found interest in math and is curious to explore more in math both in school and outside school. Patrick is the president at Langley’s Math club where he leads the efforts to kindle students’ interests in math in the Langley community. Patrick conducts weekly club meetings to solve challenging math problems, prepare for math competitions, and host review sessions to help students understand the questions they missed. Patrick’s love for math has driven him to participate in various math competitions, such as AIME, USAMO, Berkeley Math Tournament (BMT), Stanford Math Tournament (SMT), and Purple Comet Math Tournament. Patrick enjoys using his math knowledge to help other students in need and inspire them to fall in love with math. Patrick has also been interested in computer science. He’s proficient in Python, Java, C++ and C. Patrick’s passion for computer science has led him to perform well in the CS contests, such as ACSL, USACO, and MIT Battlecode. He advanced to Silver in USACO, won Bronze medal in the ACSL final contest, and ranked 7th place nationally in the high school division in MIT Battlecode. Further, Patrick has a deep passion for Physics. At school, Patrick uses his Physics knowledge to help others around him. He teaches his friends materials they don’t understand in class, leads his peers in labs, tutors students in his school, and helps students review key contents before tests. In 2023, Patrick successfully made it to the USAPHO semi-finalists and received Honorable Mention in the semifinal contests. Patrick aspires to spread his love for Physics and help others with Physics to a larger community in the future. Outside of academics, Patrick enjoys working out, watching movies, playing basketball, and traveling.
Gabriel is a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and the Chief Technology Officer at Illumony. He is a student with passion for computer science, and hopes to use his skills to teach others. Gabriel has achieved USACO Platinum, perfect score and gold medal in ACSL, and Codeforces Candidate Master. He has attended many programming competitions such as the University of Maryland HSPC, Widener University HSPC, University of Virginia HSPC, CALICO Informatics Competition, and Meta Hacker Cup. He is Co-Captain of the TJ Senior Computer Team and was Webmaster of the TJ Intermediate Computer Team. Gabriel also has an interest in math and cybersecurity, participating in a multitude of competitions including the AIME, American Regional Math League, Purple Comet, Math Kangaroo, Carnegie Mellon Informatics and Mathematics Competition, TJCSC CTF, and more. Through Illumony, he strives to encourage students in their academic pursuits and assist them in meeting their goals.
Evan is currently a studebnt at Langley High School who is motivated and passionate to help others. He has won many awards including 5th and 7th place nationally in separate Science Olympiad events, and many 1st to 3rd places in Science Olympiad state, regional and invitational competitions. He has served as Den Chief of Cub Scouts and Patrol Leader of Boy Scouts. He has scored competitively on the USABO open exam. He plays basketball at Langley High School, and enjoys fishing and cooking in his free time.
Daniel Qiu is a student at TJHSST. He first learned how to code in his freshman year of high school and has loved it ever since. Due to his love of programming, Daniel has found himself competing in many coding competitions such as USACO, Berkeley’s Calico competition, Upenn’s Pclassic competition, and many more. Since the beginning of his high school programming career, Daniel has won many awards such as USACO gold level, and first place at Berkley’s Calico competition, as well as represented TJHSST in its annual VCU high school programming contest. As an active member of TJHSST’s computer team and computer security club, Daniel loves to solve coding problems and participate in hacking competitions. As an officer at TJHSST’s computer security club and co-captain of TJHSST’s intermediate computing team, Daniel enjoys hosting coding competitions and writing problems for others to solve. He has organized competitions such as TJHSST’s annual summer in-house competition. As a teacher at Illumony, Daniel hopes to bring his passion for computer science to younger students. During his spare time, Daniel enjoys playing Tetris and watching Minecraft YouTubers.
Suhas Nandiraju is attending NYU after graudating from TJHSST 2022. He is a programmer fluent in Python, C++, and Java and also has experience with Javascript, HTML, and C#. He starting coding in Python at 11 years old, participating in competitions like ACSL. At 12, he worked at his first internship at eSolutionsFirst. As he transitioned into high school, he began developing interests in AI and Machine Learning, as well as engineering. At the age of 16, he interned as a Data Scientist for Nu Borders, helping them develop their first commercial product for the private sector. He also worked as an ML researcher for WSGMarkets in developing a profitable algorithm to trade FOREX currencies. In pursuit of his interests in cs integrated with engineering, Suhas has also joined the TJ Remote Operated Vehicle and TJ Unmanned Aerial Vehicle clubs as a computer vision programmer.
Outside of clubs and internships, Suhas also researches new upcoming technologies and participates in competitions. He participated in the Conrad and Diamond challenges in his junior year and regularly participates in competitive hackathons. Occasionally, he participates in competitive programming competitions like USACO, in which he is in the Gold division, and plays chess. Recognizing that he had access throughout his education to many resources that other aspiring computer scientists do not always have, Suhas hopes to provide to his community through Illumony. In the future, he seeks to further pursue computer science and engineering and continue to support aspiring STEM students.
Sophia is a student at Thomas Jefferson High School. She is interested in the dual perspective of both research and journalism, in which she explores through being an editor for tjTODAY, the online and print issues for TJHSST, and conducting research. In addition, she enjoys being involved with her community and holds the Secretary position for the 2026 Class Council. Having been rigorously trained in competitive rhythmic gymnastics since the second grade, Sophia enjoys decompressing her day by dancing on the Jefferson Varsity Dance Team. She also tutors as a Jefferson Writing Center tutor and is on the Varsity Public Forum team. Sophia enjoys reading, going on walks, listening to music, and discovering new bookstores in her free time.
Gabe is a Senior at Mclean High School. He is heavily interested in the stock market and economics as a whole. He currently trades stocks under two accounts and has become an educated stock trader. Gabe also has a passion for plants and gardening, working at Merrifield Garden 3 days a week. In addition, he placed third in DECA districts this year and was a finalist for states this year. He is a member of 4 clubs, all of which are centered around economics. He is the Co-founder of one of those clubs and the chairman for another. Gabe also plays soccer and basketball, enjoys fishing, and going to the gym.
Zeeshan Huang is an 8th grader at Longfellow Middle School (LMS) with diverse interests in STEM. As a member of his school’s Science Olympiad program, Zeeshan not only loves exploring biology, chemistry, and a wide array of other sciences, but he also takes pride in leading his team at regional, state, and national competitions. Outside of Science Olympiad, Zeeshan loves learning Computer Science, and as a 5th grader, he achieved the rank of Silver Division in the USA Computing Olympiad. He is looking forward to competing in the USA Biolympiad in high school. Zeeshan loves to share his knowledge and give back to others. He is a tutor for Algebra 1 at LMS, and through Illumony, he hopes to expand his community service efforts far beyond his LMS math classroom. Outside of academics, Zeeshan enjoys music and athletics. He plays violin for both LMS’s Chamber Orchestra and Musikfest’s Senior Orchestra, which is part of a volunteer program that performs biannually at nursing homes to bring music to senior citizens. He also serves as an attacker in the McLean Youth Lacrosse program. In his free time, Zeeshan loves to read about biology, write, and explore new interests.
Srimann Ramachandruni is a Senior at Thomas Jefferson. He enjoys being involved in his community, working with its members, and sharing the experiences and lessons he has learned. His academic interests are primarily in biology and computer science, but more so biology. He has done biology olympiad for the last three years as well as USACO. When he is not studying or doing work, he is usually playing basketball with his friends at the court near his house. Srimann has been part of the varsity track team and junior varsity basketball team, so he really enjoys team-based and collaborative events.
Garrett Heller is a Senior at TJHSST. He has many interests, such as math, chess and teaching.
He is a statistician officer of TJ’s Varsity Math Team, for which he participates in various competitions, lectures on many topics, and is in charge of maintaining rankings. He always focuses on the “why” of mathematics and is working on a year long math research project.
Garrett is also a co-captain of the TJ Chess Team and leads all of the weekly activities. He has previously been a chess coach for both an elementary school and a middle school and loves the joy that the game brings to his students.
In his free time, Garrett enjoys playing frisbee and watching sitcoms.
Jun Hee Lee is a Junior at TJHSST. He loves playing football and lacrosse. He also loves teaching students. Jun Hee used to be part of many different competition math groups and is fond of science. He also loves playing video games!
Anne Zhang is a freshman at McLean High School with a strong passion for earth and space science, computer science, and math. She has won over 20 Science Olympiad medals in events like Astronomy, Dynamic Planet, Sounds of Music, and Disease Detectives over the past four years. Anne is proficient in Python, Java, and C++ and was a 2023 ACSL Junior Finalist. In the 2025 Math Kangaroo competition, she placed 2nd in Virginia and 5th nationwide. Anne also has extensive tutoring experience, including mentoring three Elementary School Science Olympiad teams weekly over six months. Anne enjoys painting, playing piano and violin, making science-themed artworks, and organizing stargazing events in her free time. Anne is excited to inspire and support more students through Illumony.
Gavin is currently a Junior at Thomas Jefferson High School. He enjoys learning a wide variety of subjects and wants to pursue a medical career in the future. As a part of Illumony, he is excited to help spread his love of learning to others and hopes to be a role model for younger students.
Gavin is also a captain and quarterback of his school's varsity football team and enjoys lifting and practicing in his free time.
Shihan Rao is a freshman at TJHSST with a passion for physics and computer science. Previously, she participated in the AMC 8 (receiving a distinguished honor roll) and AMC 10, as well as the TJIMO. Besides math, she enjoys writing short stories, and has earned multiple silver keys in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. She has held various leadership positions, such as being the Student Council President of her elementary school, and National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) Vice President of Longfellow Middle School. Outside of school, Shihan dances competitively, and enjoys wiring and programming Arduinos, ziplining, and pet-sitting.
Sophia Hou is a junior at TJHSST. Since a young age, Sophia has had a deep passion for mathematics, finding joy in solving complex problems and exploring new mathematical concepts. Her enthusiasm for math led her to participate in various prestigious competitions. She is a four-time qualifier for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) and a USAJMO qualifier, receiving an Honorable Mention. Her love for math drove her to represent TJ at many math competitions, such as ARML, HMMT, CMIMC, PuMAC, and Duke Math Meet. She is the co-captain of the Physics Team at TJHSST and she managed finances, fundraising, and outreach efforts to expand the club. Outside of academics, Sophia enjoys playing video games, watching anime, and playing basketball. She hopes that her experience reflects her dedication and passion for learning and inspiring others.
Eric is a junior at TJHSST with a passion in Computer Science and Chemistry. He enjoys teaching and helping others learn, making complicated concepts simple and easy to understand. He holds several leadership roles at his school such as treasurer for Chinese Honor Society and Rubik's Cube Club. Eric is a hard working athlete on the Wrestling and Track and Field team for his school, earning varsity letters in both sports, and competing at the Occoquan Region Championships in Track and Field. Outside of school, he enjoys practicing Olympic weightlifting and other various forms of exercise to better his athletic abilities, always striving to improve and get better than he was yesterday. Additionally, Eric has been playing piano since he was 5 years old, and continues playing piano as one of his favorite hobbies to do in his free time.
Andrew is a rising junior at TJHSST. Andrew is deeply involved in mathematics, having participated in competitions such as MATHCOUNTS, AIME, ARML, CMIMC, DMM (Duke Math Meet). He is a MATHCOUNTS Nationals qualifier and a 3x AIME qualifier and is additionally part of TJ's Varsity Math Team. He loves teaching others about math topics and spreading his math experience to others. In addition to mathematics, Andrew is passionate about coding. Andrew is adept in several programming languages including Java, Python, C++, Flask, CSS, Node.js, and LaTeX. He is currently in USACO Silver, and has taken Artificial Intelligence and BC Calculus. Outside of academics, Andrew loves watching TV shows, listening to music, and playing and watching soccer.
Andrew has always been passionate about teaching, and with Illumony, he hopes to share his passion for math and computer science with others and inspire the next generation of students.
Zeyue Du is a highly motivated rising junior at McLean High School with a wide range of interests. Zeyue has actively participated in various extracurricular activities, including the school band, choir, python club, dance club, DECA, and FBLA. To further explore his passion for business and economics, Zeyue has been admitted to the Business School Camp at Cornell University during the summer of 2024. Zeyue was the Student Council Treasurer at Longfellow Middle School, where he made crucial decisions to optimize limited resources to leverage activities that benefited the entire student body. Outside of his academic pursuits, Zeyue has volunteered for the Best Buddies program where he helped people and families living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to form meaningful friendships with their peers and feel valued by society. He has also actively contributed to fundraising activities for the MHS band and has volunteered in Fairfax Park Habitat Restoration Program to protect natural habitats. In addition to his academic and volunteer commitments, Zeyue has achieved notable success in the sport of badminton, winning medals in USA Badminton tournaments and DC Open badminton tournaments from 2017-2024. He has also assisted in coaching junior badminton players in the Northern Virginia Badminton Academy. In his free time, Zeyue enjoys singing and watching anime, following Badminton World Federation tournaments, doing gym exercise, and organizing study sessions with his friends.
Sam Esteban is a Senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. He has been truly passionate about math ever since discovering competition math at a young age and would like to share his knowledge and inspire other students to see why math is exciting and fascinating. He has participated and won national and state awards in several math competitions including AMC/AIME, MathCounts, and Math Kangaroo, and since joining the TJ Varsity Math Team, he has competed as a team member in ARML, the Carnegie Mellon Informatics and Mathematics Competition (CMIMC), the Duke Math Meet, and the U.C. Berkeley Math Tournament. Besides learning math, Sam's hobbies include playing piano, watching shows and movies, and playing fetch with his dog.
Yuting Liu is a junior at Oakton High School with a passion for theoretical physics, astrophysics, cosmology, pentesting, and aerospace and hopes to inspire others with her ideas and knowledge. She is participating in NASA’s Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars program and a member of Oakton’s physics club. Yuting is taking rigorous math courses in high school including Multivariable calculus and Linear algebra, as well as AP Physics C Mechanics. She placed 3rd in Virginia for AFA Cyberpatriots with her team and competed in USACO, Codeforces, ACSL, and UVA HSPC. She is fluent in C++, C, and Java. She is preparing to take the F=MA physics exam and the Princeton University Physics Competition. Additionally, she is a varsity debater in the Oakton HS policy debate team and has placed first in WACFLs and qualified for Metrofinals. Outside of academics, she is also a talented pianist and a participant of the 2024 National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute for high school and college students. Yuting also is a promising athlete competing in track & field in triple jump and is a captain of the Oakton HS track team, and has placed 4th at a statewide meet and is an All Districts athlete that has made it to regionals. As the chief intern at Tacy Foundation's Reston site, she is dedicated to bringing live music to the elderly and children in need.
Caroline Fu is a sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology with a strong passion for computer science, particularly artificial intelligence. She is proficient in Python, Java, web/app development, and works with machine learning techniques such as deep learning, CNN-based face recognition, natural language processing, and large language models. Beyond computer science, Caroline has excelled in math and science competitions, such as MathCounts, Science Olympiad, and Math Kangaroo, in which she placed first nationally. She attends a wide variety of clubs at her school, including Mobile Apps Club, Chinese Honor Society, and is the treasurer of Athletic Council. She also serves as the captain of her Future Problem Solving team, which has qualified for the state bowl. Passionate about mentoring, Caroline has extensive experience tutoring students in math and science, aiming to inspire younger students to explore and pursue STEM. In her free time, Caroline enjoys drawing, dancing, and playing piano.
Andrew Liu is a standout high school student with a deep passion for STEM and creative problem-solving. As a rising junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, he excels in rigorous courses like AP Computer Science A+, Precalculus, and Research Statistics, etc. His technical skills shine through his mastery of programming languages such as Java, Python, C++, and HTML, as well as expertise in machine learning, embedded systems, and cybersecurity. Beyond academics, he’s an accomplished classical pianist with over a decade of practicing and performing, highlighted by a performance at Carnegie Hall and an honorable mention in the 2024 Sejong Music Competition. Andrew’s leadership and character further define his impact. As the Robotics Program Lead and Curriculum Developer at Hope Chinese School, he transformed the robotics curriculum with hands-on STEM projects and mentored peers, fostering collaboration and growth. His personality—marked by conscientiousness, creativity, and empathy—is evident in his meticulous planning of international trips and his patient tech support for elders. With ambitions in engineering, computer science, and AI, Andrew is set to blend technical prowess with compassion for his future success.
Rachel Du is a junior at TJHSST. She fell in love with coding after writing her first "Hello World" program the summer before her freshman year of high school. Her passion for programming has led her to join TJ's Computer Team and compete in various coding competitions such as USACO, ACSL, and UPenn's PClassic. She is Director of BioCode for TJ Bioinformatics Society, and she helps manage BioCode, an annual bioinformatics competition hosted by TJ Bioinformatics Society. In her free time, she enjoys playing chess and piano. Rachel has always been passionate about teaching, and she has volunteered for many years with various organizations to teach younger kids. Through Illumony, she hopes to share her enthusiasm for learning and inspire the next generation of students.
Sanne Wu is a junior at TJHSST and the Chief for Girls in STEM Officer. One of her many interests is chemistry. From the onset of middle school, she has explored her interest in the subject through competing in Science Olympiad, winning medals in states and competing in nationals in events like Potions and Potions and Anatomy. She rediscovered chemistry when she took TJ Summer Chemistry in the summer of her sophomore year, and she ranked first among the program. Since then, she's committed herself to teach chemistry each week at Hope Chinese School, earning several volunteer awards including the Congressional Award. In addition to competing in USNCO, she was also part of the top team representing TJ at the Washington University Chemistry Tournament, where they ranked fourth place. As a teacher, Sanne loves to see people gain a greater understanding of subjects previously confusing. Chemistry is only a part of Sanne's interests. She loves computer science, language, economics, and art. In her free time, she freely pursues art, winning several awards at the regional level, including a gold key in the Scholastic Art Awards. Creative subjects like art can always draw her attention. In addition to art, she also devotes her time to learning languages like Chinese and Japanese. She enjoys translating her favorite Chinese novels online and has represented TJ at the National Japan Bowl, winning fourth place in the level two competition. Numbers have always been fascinating to Sanne. She loves to catch up with the market and crunch numbers for her favorite games by writing programs and creating excels. Among the programming languages, she enjoys Python the most (mainly due to the logo), but she is also versed in Java, C#, LaTeX, and Golang. From arts to humanities to STEM, Sanne enjoys it all. Through Illumony, Sanne aims to spread her passions to the wider community.
Jeb Cui is a senior at TJHSST who has always been passionate about STEM. Since middle school, he has participated in various math competitions and received awards in Mathcounts, AMC, and other contests. Jeb also loves to code. He does competitive programming, such as USACO and ACSL, and has represented TJ nationally in ACSL. At TJ, he is an active part of the Varsity Math Team, Computer Team, National Honor Society, and Chinese Honor Society. Additionally, Jeb enjoys volunteering and teaching Computer Science, Math, and Biology. By teaching, Jeb hopes to inspire the next generation of STEM students. In his free time, Jeb loves to read and play Cello.
Will was a sophomore at Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Georgia. He has always had a great interest in mathematics and computer science and is looking forward to advancing further. He has served in various leadership roles in his school including International Student Committee Vice Chairman and Platoon Leader within his company. Will is a dedicated athlete, earning varsity letters in tennis, wrestling, and raider. In addition to sports, he likes to run and workout in order to improve his physical health. Will enjoys trying new things and making new friendships, especially in new environments. He is also accommodating and is always willing to assist new students with their academics and their daily lives. Will is very disciplined and optimistic, he always strives to make the best out of every situation. Will is soon transferring schools to New York next year as a rising junior, he is willing to take on this new challenge and is looking forward to overcoming it!
Bill Li was a sophomore at Riverside Military Academy. He participates in various sports, enjoys trying new things, and encounters challenges. During his time at a military school, he built his leadership skills, led by example, and guided others through their difficulties; he had strong discipline, always finished his work on time with perfection, and managed his time accurately; He demonstrated a good mentality, marked with a tenacity and persistence. He’s passionate about spreading help to others, and imparting his strength to them while also learning from others’ experiences to make up for his weaknesses. Ultimately, he is fully prepared to start a new journey and help others!
Natalie is a sophomore at McLean High School. She is a hard working and determined person who loves math, and finds fulfillment in both learning and teaching others. Community service through education is a core belief of hers, and she strives to provide valuable support to her community. Natalie enjoys working with children and volunteers her time tutoring subjects such as math, Chinese, and science. She has multi year experience being a teacher assistant at Hope Chinese School, educated students at Springhill Elementary School through her schools science national honor society, and is a math tutor for elementary students.
Alice Zhang is a sophomore at Langley high school. Ever since childhood she has had a passion focusing on the creative aspects of both writing and art. She is looking to find further experience while also teaching these skills to others. She heavily values self-driven creativity and imagination which she applies to her art on a daily basis. Outside of school, she likes drawing, scrapbooking, reading, playing table tennis, and working with children.