Heschel is a small school, and definitely not an engineering-focused school; I was one of only a handful of students interested in engineering across the entire school. Outside of honors math and physics, there were very few structured opportunities for hands-on technical work. That environment pushed me to create my own.
3D PRINTING CLUB & 3D PRINTER REPAIR
I founded a 3D Printing Club to teach other students how to use 3D printers and to connect with anyone else interested in the tech. While attendance was small, the club established me as the go-to resource for 3D printing at the school.
At the time, the school owned a few 3D printers that were either broken, unused, or still unopened. With permission from faculty, I diagnosed, repaired, and fully set up all of the printers. I regularly stayed after school to work on them and even took one home to repair independently. I taught myself troubleshooting, calibration, and printer maintenance. By the end of high school, I was solely responsible for keeping the school’s 3D printing infrastructure operational.
Heschel’s Science Research Initiative connected students with external research labs to conduct independent research over the summer, followed by a formal symposium presentation during the school year. I participated in SRI in 2019 and completed a full research experience at the Drori Lab at Yeshiva University, though the final symposium was canceled due to COVID.
→ See the dedicated Drori Lab page for details.
→ See the dedicated Drori Lab page for details.
In 2020, I founded and ran a solo community chapter of e-NABLE, a national initiative providing free 3D-printed prosthetics to underserved communities. It was technically registered through my high school but operated entirely out of my bedroom.
→ See the dedicated e-NABLE page for the full project and impact.
→ See the dedicated e-NABLE page for the full project and impact.
FRENCH STUDIES
I studied French throughout high school due to my French-speaking family background and completed the honors-level track, which involved more rigorous coursework. At the end of senior year, I received a Bronze Medal in the National French Contest; I was the only student in the class to recieve an award.
SCIENCE OLYMPIAD
I participated in Science Olympiad during freshman and junior year, primarily in build-focused events like the mousetrap car. Unfortunately, interest steadily dropped each year due to low participation, and teams often dissolved before projects could fully take shape. While the results were limited, the experience motivated me to pursue engineering independently rather than wait for formal programs.