This year’s festival theme, “Unframed: Your Voice. Your Vision. No Limits,” invited student filmmakers to break free from conventions. Whether through raw documentaries, bold narratives, or experimental visuals, it challenged students to share stories only they could tell. “It was really exciting,” Arya says about the creative approach the theme encouraged.

Arya began making films in the 6th grade after taking an introductory class at her former school. She credits her versatility to years of experimenting across genres, seeing her work as multidimensional. “A lot of comedy can fit in drama films and vice versa,” she says.

At ������Ƶ, Arya has continued to build her skills through the Introduction to Film course with Visual Arts Department Head Justin Bull P’25 ’28. For a class assignment, she was asked to create a Soviet Montage, a style of film developed in the 1920s that uses editing to create meaning through the juxtaposition of shots. 

The project was awarded Best Microfilm at the festival. The film follows a girl, played by Arya’s classmate Emma Sayles ’29, who steps through a door and finds herself transported to another world. “Working with Justin is really nice,” Arya says. “He’s helping me hone my technical skills, and the class gives me the space and equipment to make the movies I’ve dreamed of.”

Arya has also flexed her creative problem-solving skills. She says the most challenging part of making films is coordinating schedules among the different artists involved—collaboration and communication are central to her process. The film awarded Best Drama was made during a 48-hour film contest with 30 classmates. “Film is definitely a team sport,” Arya says.

She adds that transitioning from a small middle school to ������Ƶ has inspired her screenplays: “A lot of the films I make are based on my experiences. Since ������Ƶ is so different from my old school, it’s giving me new things to write about.”

As Arya looks ahead, she is already brimming with ideas. She plans to take a summer film program and continue developing her filmmaking skills at ������Ƶ, with hopes of joining the school’s Feature Film Project course in the future. With her visual imagination, there will be no shortage of stories in her future.

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She was inspired to apply by Irene Jiang ’24, who had first heard about the program from Lisa Liu ’22. “It’s an honor to continue this legacy of ������Ƶ women in STEM,” Ashley says.

PRIMES participants work with MIT researchers on exciting unsolved problems in mathematics. Ashley’s research focused on the mathematical concept of regret, a measure used to evaluate how well algorithms perform in game theory. Last year, she studied external regret, which compares an algorithm’s performance to the best fixed action. 

This year, she studied swap regret, a more stringent measure that asks how much better one could have done in a repeated decision-making process—for example, a game of rock-paper-scissors—by choosing different actions each round. 

Her project explored how to speed up algorithms that minimize swap regret. While traditional methods are mathematically precise, they often slow dramatically when dealing with many possible actions. 

Ashley’s work aimed to simplify these algorithms, trading some precision for faster, more practical performance. The algorithm has potential real-world applications in adaptive AI and online learning, where speed and scalability are crucial 

Throughout the year, Ashley met regularly with her MIT mentor, Maxwell Fishelson, starting with a collaborative proof and literature review. The yearlong effort culminated in a formal report and presentation at the fall-term PRIMES conference at MIT on October 18 and 19, 2025. 

“Most of my work was self-directed,” Ashley says. “I felt like I was in the driver’s seat for a good amount of it.” She also shared her progress and enthusiasm with ������Ƶ math teacher Eric Henry P’28 and Computer Science Department head Ben Stumpf ’88, who both attended her final presentation. “I’ve had so much support from them throughout this process,” she says. 

Looking back, Ashley describes MIT PRIMES as both challenging and fulfilling. “It was great to reconnect with other students at the conference and see all the incredible work people are doing,” she said.

She has since submitted her research to the Regeneron Science Talent Search, and she offers these words of advice to students considering applying to PRIMES: “Work hard on the problems, and make sure you’re truly passionate about what you’re studying. It’s a big time commitment, but if you enjoy the process, it’s one of the most rewarding experiences you can have.” 

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That passion led her to apply for the John Winthrop Fellowship at the Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS), where she spent this past summer exploring the significance of Black churches in Boston during the Civil War. 

Anisa’s interest in historical research deepened after taking ������Ƶ’s Civil War and Reconstruction class in 10th grade. She spent hours in the school’s J. Josephine Tucker library, where Library Director and Archivist Martha Kennedy encouraged her to apply to the fellowship program. 

She focused her analysis on the 12th Baptist Church, the oldest standing Black church in the country, in what is now Beacon Hill. She also studied the Masonic African Grand Lodge, among other spiritual spaces throughout the area.

Working in the MHS archives, she read sermons, essays, and speeches that revealed how religious leaders used faith to challenge slavery and injustice. “One in particular I really liked was Frederick Douglass’ speech ‘Defense of the Negro Race’,” she says. “It was arguing for why Black people had a positive impact on society, but it was less of a humanist argument and more of a logical one, which I found very interesting.” 

She also studied Theodore Parker’s “A New Crime Against Humanity,” a sermon written after the kidnapping of Anthony Burns under the Fugitive Slave Act. “Parker was a white preacher and philosopher who interacted with a lot of Black preachers and was very involved in the abolition movement,” Anisa says. “He used religion to argue against racist policies and policies of enslavement. He called it ‘putting the law of man above the law of God.’” 

Another compelling source was Lewis Hayden’s book Caste Among Masons, which explored racial hierarchy within Freemasonry. “Freemasonry operated a lot like a church,” she says. “It acted as a holy and spiritual place for free Black men at the time, but they were often discriminated against by white Masons.”

In addition to her archival work, Anisa visited historical sites across Boston, including the Museum of African American History, housed in the building that was once the 12th Baptist Church. She also walked the Black Heritage Trail, tracing the physical spaces connected to her studies. Her research culminated in a presentation at a Massachusetts Historical Society conference this November, where she shared her findings alongside other high school scholars studying Boston’s history. 

The fellowship reshaped the way she thinks about history. “It’s made me think of history in a more place-based way—more spatially,” she says. “When I was initially applying for my fellowship, I had such a broad topic. Honing in on one place allowed me to trace deeper, more meaningful patterns.” 

She credits ������Ƶ with preparing her for the rigor of independent research: “The knowledge I learned of how to take good notes was pivotal to my research. ������Ƶ’s encouragement of students to be self-sufficient, and to do work not just because they’re going to get a grade on it, but because they care about the thing they’re doing, was really important.” 

Looking ahead, Anisa plans to major in history in college. “I definitely want to continue doing history,” she says. “You can’t do anything without history—everything comes from somewhere. I just think it’s such a universal discipline in a way that I really appreciate, and it will always be significant to me.” 

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After hearing about the program from friends, Lily saw the opportunity as a chance to step beyond her comfort zone. “As a boarding student from California, I haven’t been deeply immersed in Massachusetts high school leadership culture,” she says. “So I took advantage of HOBY as an exciting opportunity to swim in new waters and branch out beyond what I am accustomed to.” 

Held over three days, the seminar brought together student leaders from across the state to engage in workshops, community building, and self-discovery. For Lily, one of the most powerful takeaways came from meeting students with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. 

“I discerned differences in how students approached leadership, collaboration, and social interaction as they reflected the values and priorities of their distinct local communities,” she explains. 

A standout moment came during an improv-based leadership workshop, which challenged Lily’s understanding of effective leadership. Led by professional comedians, the session introduced the concept of leading without a script, a message that stuck. “Structure certainly matters, but rigidity can impede growth,” she says. “I recognized the significance of the ability to pivot when circumstances shift.” 

Her adaptability has already been put to the test. Back on campus, Lily drew from her HOBY experience while leading a junior class matcha fundraiser. When the event ran out of ingredients mid-sale, quick thinking and collaboration with dining staff allowed the team to restock and keep sales running smoothly. “That flexibility, paired with the planning we had already done, allowed the event to succeed,” she says. 

The group discussions at HOBY created a space for Lily to share her ideas while also reflecting on the perspectives of others. She notes that the experience expanded her worldview and helped her approach situations with greater understanding. “Empathy and the most sincere connections often come in my quietest moments when I am actively listening,” she says. 

From her HOBY experience, Lily brought back to campus a renewed commitment to lead with authenticity. To future ������Ƶ students considering HOBY, she offers this advice: “The more energy and enthusiasm you bring, the more rewarding the experience will be.” 

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He enrolled in the School Year Abroad (SYA) program this fall and spent the semester immersed in Zaragoza. The fifth largest city in Spain, it is halfway between Barcelona and Madrid. With its close-knit community, it offered Luke an authentic and deeply enriching cultural experience.

Initially, Luke’s parents were hesitant about him studying abroad, but they changed their minds after learning about SYA’s academic rigor and reading the testimonials of past students. For Luke, who has studied Spanish for most of his life, Spain was the natural choice for the destination. 

While abroad, Luke balanced a full course load, taking six classes. In English, he took math and English literature. His courses in Spanish included Spanish language, experiential Spanish, Spanish theater, and political science.

Spanish theater became one of his favorite classes. Students put on an original play written by the teacher. Studying the characters, memorizing the script, and performing in Spanish was a creative outlet. 

Another standout was the political science class. “Discussing philosophy and politics was a huge language builder,” says Luke. “By the end of the semester, speaking Spanish became natural, and I stopped translating in my head—it just became second nature.” 

Beyond the classroom, Luke says he developed a deep connection with his host family: “We ate dinner together every night and talked about our days.” The daily tradition grounded him in the experience and helped him learn more about the community. 

Luke’s time in Spain was full of unforgettable moments, among them a school trip to Toledo. A former capital of Spain, the city is known for its Christian, Jewish, and Moorish architecture. Exploring the city’s buildings and art left him feeling inspired.�� 

A local highlight was the Pilar Festival in Zaragoza, an annual celebration held in honor of the patron saint of the city. Attending the festivities, including a parade and carnival, helped him bond with his classmates and friends on a deeper level. 

The most important thing Luke learned from his trip was a sense of independence and personal growth. “The biggest lesson I learned was to be adaptable,” Luke says. “Being over there taught me to be open to new experiences—it does wonders for you. You also learn to be authentic to yourself when staying in a new place.” 

His advice to students considering studying abroad: “Do it—if you can be resilient and get out of your comfort zone. There were obstacles along the way, but I look back at it so fondly.” 

Now back home, Luke says the experience left a lasting impression. “I want to go back to Spain in college,” he says. “I miss my friends, my host family, and the city.” 

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Hannah is helping to bring some of that history to light during Concord250, the Concord, Mass., celebration of the 250th anniversary of the battles of Concord and Lexington on April 19, 2025. Drawing on the research she conducted online and in local archives, the ������Ƶ senior has completed a project that allows anyone with a smartphone to experience some of the town’s Revolutionary War history right where it happened. Through augmented reality, at designated waysides around the town, plaques and videos Hannah created tell stories from the Old North Bridge and several of the town’s Witness Houses—homes that stood close by as the first shots of the American Revolution were fired.

Here’s how the self-guided tour works. Residents and visitors can download the augmented-reality app Hoverlay at the Concord Visitor Center. There, they can plan a walking route between the Old North Bridge and seven nearby historic houses, each bearing a Witness House flag. Some of the properties, such as the Old Manse, the Colonial Inn, and The Wayside, are open to the public; others, including the Bullet Hole House, Jonathan Prescott House, and Benjamin Barron House, are privately owned. At each stop, scanning a QR code in the app will bring up a virtual plaque with information about each residence and the events that transpired there on April 19, 1775. Two of the locations—the bridge and the Reuben Brown House and Saddler’s Shop—present brief, engaging videos.

These aren’t typical historical reenactment scenes: Hannah says the videos “have a bit of a modern aspect.” They present historical accounts through an Information Age sensibility, with some deliberate anachronisms for immediacy. For example, Hannah based her script for the Old North Bridge on the witness account of Amos Barrett, who fought in the battle there. Longtime ������Ƶ mathematics teacher Howie Bloom P’08 ’09 ’14 performs as Barrett, taking some liberties with the language as he records a TikTok-style get-ready-with-me video. 

Barrett wrote his reflection on the 50th anniversary of the battles. “He’s writing 50 years afterward, and he says he can remember this event better than things from five years ago,” Hannah says. “That line of his really interested me. It’s a reminder of how things like that stick—it was a war, it was intense.” 

Similarly, Hannah based her video for the Reuben Brown House and Saddler’s Shop on a historical account by Martha Moulton, who witnessed British soldiers ransack the town, seizing and destroying hidden military supplies and setting fire to several buildings, among them her home. “When this happened, she was an old woman,” Hannah explains. “I really wanted to incorporate young people somewhere to appeal to a lot of ages.” The scene she directed is narrated by two school-aged kids, who she says “got hold of their older sibling’s phone and are running around making a vlog—they have just witnessed Martha stopping these fires, and they’re out-of-their-minds excited.”

Hannah’s interest in researching Concord history began when she took the U.S. Public History: Tour Guide class with Kim Frederick in spring 2024. As they learned about Concord’s local history—which is national U.S. history too—������Ƶ students also became certified to work as town tour guides. 

“That class was a lot of fun for me,” Hannah says. “I really enjoyed combining two things I love: talking to people and history. And as someone who does a lot of performing, it really appealed to me to try to present information in an interesting and fun way, both for the person giving it and the person receiving it.”

As part of that class, she researched the ������Ƶ houses along Main Street, learning about their architecture and the people who built and inhabited them. The class also ventured out to many historic sites, and Hannah found it instructive to visit the places they were reading about. At the end of the 2023–24 school year, Frederick, who serves on the Concord250 Executive Committee’s History and Education Subcommittee, suggested Hannah might extend her research on antique homes to the Witness Houses through a departmental study.

Hannah says she jumped at the opportunity. “Kim is very knowledgeable about the town of Concord, and that’s awesome because there’s just so much to learn,” she says.

Throughout this fall, Hannah looked at primary sources to develop narratives. She and Frederick met weekly to review the research and refine the stories, and Hannah continued to prepare her materials into the spring. Computer science teacher Ben Stumpf ’88 helped her work with Hoverlay. In March, Hannah had an opportunity to present her plans at First Parish in Concord to Witness House owners—the individuals who have long stewarded these historic properties.

While their release was timed to coincide with the Concord250 celebrations, the augmented-reality waysides will remain active in Concord over the next year. So residents and visitors alike can look forward to more deeply engaging with some of Concord’s remarkable stories for some time to come.

The post Through Augmented Reality, ������Ƶ Senior Hannah Crozier ’25 Offers a Modern Take on Concord’s Revolutionary War History appeared first on ������Ƶ.

������Ƶ junior Lauren Ong ’26 is an emerging voice in environmental conservation. Driven by a passion for wildlife protection, her engagement spans from local advocacy to global research on endangered species.

Growing up in San Diego, Lauren developed a strong connection to nature by gardening with her parents and grandparents. Her fascination with plants and animals only deepened as she traveled the world, immersing herself in different ecosystems. 

In middle school, a life-changing trip to Kenya introduced her to the pangolin, an endangered species she had never heard of before. This encounter ignited her drive for conservation, prompting her to get involved with .

Pangolins face imminent extinction due to threats from electric fencing, habitat destruction, and poaching​. Through outreach to electronics companies for donations and extensive fundraising, Lauren secured trail cameras for the Nyekweri Forest in Kenya, the last stronghold of the Giant Ground Pangolin. 

Initially, the exact number of pangolins remaining in this region was unknown. However, scientists analyzed the camera footage and identified around 30 individuals. The conservation effort continues, with The Pangolin Project team volunteering to educate communities in Kenya about the species.

During her time at ������Ƶ, Lauren’s work has also taken her to the , a cloud forest region in Ecuador, where she contributes to the organization’s study on puma populations. The project highlights how human activities, such as agriculture and urbanization, fragment natural habitats and pose a threat to the apex predators.

Lauren volunteered her expertise in and with trail cameras, serving in a hands-on role reviewing footage. Through close observation and analysis, she has been able to identify different individuals and track their movement patterns.��

She also assisted in tagging two pumas, providing data for understanding their health and genetics. In collaboration with the reserve’s research team, including a biologist and genomics expert, Lauren helped analyze the pumas’ DNA and discovered potential early signs of inbreeding within the population—which may be a result of land fragmentation. 

This was the first test of its kind for pumas in South America. The team plans to continue testing additional pumas to expand its sample size. Supporting the health of these top predators plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance of the region’s entire ecosystem.

Lauren recently showcased her puma research in a poster display at in San Diego. At just 17, she was the youngest presenter. She described the experience as an incredible opportunity to share her work with the scientific community and help build awareness.

Back in Concord, she is currently developing an environmental app to share her passion for ecology with the ������Ƶ community. The app will feature fundraising campaigns to support her efforts in conserving the puma and pangolin populations.

A member of O.A.C. (Organic Action for Communities), she is also collaborating with that student club and ������Ƶ’s student environmental representatives to feature local sustainability opportunities on the app. Asher Seidman ’26 and Computer Science Department Head Ben Stumpf ’88 lent their coding expertise to the project

In addition to science, Lauren is also committed to athletics and is an accomplished fencer. She recently earned national recognition by winning a medal at the U.S.A. Summer Nationals, and the July Challenge. For Lauren, fencing has taught her invaluable life lessons, such as the importance of persistence and focus. She applies these same principles to her conservation work, seeing them as interconnected.

Looking back on her experiences, Lauren has learned that conservation success is about more than just data—it’s about building relationships. For ������Ƶ students interested in environmentalism, she offers this advice: “Make as many connections as possible. Reaching out to people, sharing your ideas, and asking for help is key to making real change.”

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The medieval tale follows the young prince Pippin (Liam O’Brien ’23) on his quest to find his “Corner of the Sky.” He enlists the aid of his powerful father, King Charles (Liam Salerno ’23), his alluring stepmother Fastrada (Marisa Beard ’24), and his battle-ready brother Lewis (Brennan Biemann ’24) on his quest to lead a meaningful life through pursuits of war, glory, and passion.

“Pippin is a big Broadaway musical with lots of gorgeous singing and amazing dancing,” Schy Gleeson says, “but ever since it debuted in 1972 the structure of the piece has not been that of a traditional musical.” 

The performance format lets audiences see behind the curtain and inside the minds of the characters. Actors change costumes on stage, assume multiple roles, and address the audience directly—breaking the fourth wall. Throughout the story a performance troupe, the Players, narrates Pippin’s inner doubts. Schy Gleeson reflects: “We all have those internalized voices that tell us we’re not good enough. By confronting the thoughts within one’s mind, we are surrendering the need to be perfect.” 

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Pippin, and the musical is as relevant today as when it debuted. ������Ƶ’s production used anachronistic props such as cell phones to blur the line between 780 A.D. and the fast-paced and social media-saturated world we live in today. 

Magic designer Evan Northrup staged mystical illusions, including spinning plates and disappearing objects. Gleeson notes, “Evan and I worked with the students in planning ‘choreography’ for what needed to happen to set up each illusion. What I think was really fun for the students was when Evan came in to do a magic workshop with the actors and tech crew folks, as an introduction to magic for the theater.” 

The energetic performance was perfectly punctuated with choreography by dance program co-directors Rika Okamoto and Alexander Brady, which included jazz footwork, acrobatics, and ribbon twirling. Soaring pop-rock melodies, music directed by Performing Arts Department Head Michael Bennett, underscored the action. 

In a stand-out musical number, “No Time at All,” Pippin’s grandmother Berthe (Aisha Aina Tasso ’23) encourages him to seize the day and embrace his life with all its imperfections. After a series of trials and tribulations, Pippin is ultimately enlightened and transformed by this advice. He rejects his powerful station to embrace a simple, joyful, and family-focused path. 

The piece asks us to consider “are we truly taking time for being with the ones we love,” Schy Gleeson says. “Are we using the time we have on this planet well?” 

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“I’m passionate about computer science because it allows me to engage in creative problem-solving and see tangible, impactful results,” she says.��

In her biology research, Irene harnessed machine learning and computational methods to identify genes associated with tuberculosis, potentially serving as targets for future medications aimed at improving or curing the disease.��

She first took an interest in this subject during an internship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s neurology department in her sophomore year. To gain access to the lab, she had to undergo a tuberculosis test, which ignited her curiosity about the disease.

Her studies exposed the severity of tuberculosis and the fact that her native China ranks among the countries with the highest tuberculosis prevalence. This discovery motivated her to make tuberculosis the central focus of her MIT research.

Using coding techniques, including RNA sequencing and Mendelian randomization, she analyzed complex tuberculosis data sets she sourced from online public databases. She maintained a regular meeting schedule with her mentor, MIT professor Gil Alterovitz, who provided her with feedback and support on her research and paper.��

Irene took the initiative to teach herself new machine-learning skills through online tutorials. Her favorite part of coding was debugging her work and the sense of satisfaction she gained from solving challenging problems.

Irene received feedback on her presentation skills from ������Ƶ mathematics teacher George Larivee, Computer Science Department head Ben Stumpf ’88, and Science Department head Will Tucker.��

“When I watched Irene’s presentation, I was genuinely impressed by its clarity and effortless delivery,” Larivee says. “It was as if she had been presenting at conferences for years. I can easily envision Irene making substantial contributions to our understanding of the human body and its response to disease in the years ahead. She has a remarkably bright future ahead of her.”

Irene first learned about the MIT PRIMES program through PRIMES graduate Lisa Liu ’22. Irene now encourages others to apply to PRIMES, hoping to create a legacy of ������Ƶ students involved in the program. Her goal is to inspire more people, especially women, to engage with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Looking ahead, Irene aspires to continue her work in science and earn a Ph.D. Her favorite aspect of computer science is its collaborative nature: “Science is about building upon the work of others,” she says. Irene hopes to publish her research findings so that others can benefit from her contributions to the field.

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