Hi! My name is Leah Zheng and I am a current senior at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory. 

Throughout my life, I’ve always been interested in the sciences and mathematics. 

This past summer, I completed the UC Santa Cruz Summer Internship Program this year, and I became a research assistant to a doctoral student studying advanced supercapacitors and energy storage in a chemistry lab. After taking AP Chemistry in my junior year, I was really interested in this area, and throughout the summer, I synthesized MnO2 in both beta and gamma phases, 3D printed carbon based electrodes, and tested them using a 3 electrode cell. Outside of the lab, I navigated the OriginLab software to create Galvanostatic Charge/Discharge graphs, calculate the areal capacitance of our different electrodes, and estimate the resistance through Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy graphs.    

At school, with my fellow i2 member Madison Lee, I have founded Math Genies (our 2024 i2 project!), a volunteering program that connects SHC student tutors with middle schoolers who need help with math, and our school’s Science Olympiad team. We are really excited to continue these programs and expand them further as interest in them throughout our school community grows. In addition, I am ecstatic to serve as SHC’s Women’s Empowerment CCC’s President, a role that will allow me to continue my advocacy for the female-identifying members and their needs to make school feel like a safer, more welcoming place.

As a part of the i2 program, I would like to study issues in the world and create effective solutions for them. With this wonderful community, I am confident that I will be able to achieve my goals and make innovative projects.

MY BLOGS

2023-2024 i2 Project Idea

My proposed project idea this year is to create a math tutoring program for middle schoolers, starting at Holy Name School in the Sunset District, that connects SHC high schoolers with younger kids learning mainly learning Algebra 1. This program will mainly aid those who are falling behind in their current math class and need […] Read more

The Anthropocene and Education

This year, the theme that our junior year project must revolve around is the Anthropocene. To me, it refers to how the impact, good or bad, humans have had on the planet’s biodiversity, but it can also extend much further than that. What choices do humans make that may not have a direct impact on […] Read more

The Best Night's Sleep Update

I am currently working on my project, The Best Night’s Sleep, and there have definitely been some ups and downs throughout this process. My project is an experiment determining which of the four methods that I found on the internet would give someone the best night’s sleep. My initial plans have actually been pretty successful […] Read more

The i2 Journey Begins

I am very excited to begin my journey as a member of the I2 program, and hopefully, I learn a lot about how to successfully serve my community in a helpful way. This group was not something I knew about until I received my acceptance letter, but I was very excited once I read about […] Read more

i2 Projects

The Best Night's Sleep

Having a restful night of sleep has become very difficult for numerous people, for various reasons, such as distractions from devices and insomnia. Unfortunately, even if they are able to sleep for a long time, their quality of sleep might not be very good, causing them to be irritable and tired in the morning.

Project details

Traditional Chinese Medicine for Youth

TCMY was designed for students to be able to understand Traditional Chinese Medicine in an easy and accessible way, with sources and information they know they can trust. There are two ways that students can go about learning from TCMY, depending on their needs and how much they want to learn. 

Project details

Math Genies

There has been a significant improvement in the mathematical proficiency of middle school students over the past three decades. However, a noticeable decline in their academic performance was observed in 2019, as indicated by the nationwide results of the High School Placement Tests. This regression can be attributed to a lack of motivation and a limited understanding of core mathematical concepts among students during the COVID-19 pandemic, which presented many challenges to their grasp of fundamental principles. Additionally, this lack of knowledge also hinders their ability to comprehend other mathematics-related subjects. Our program strives to address this challenge and facilitate a smooth transition into high school mathematics. Welcome to Math Genies!

Project details