Hello, my name is Madison Lee, and I am a senior at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory. It is my fourth year at SHCP, and I am excited to explore new opportunities with the time I have left. It feels like only yesterday that I first walked through the welcoming doors of campus. I am so grateful to the students, faculty, and community at SHC who have truly made my high school journey unforgettable.

I have a passion for reading and analyzing literature, and I’m now expanding this interest by exploring literature from the perspective of famous female writers. Currently, we are on our Dickinson unit, and her works about nature, love, and mortality are truly timeless. I am determined to try new things outside my “comfort zone”, asking more questions and embracing vulnerability. My enjoyment of reading and writing continues to inspire me to learn about the world around me and apply my academic knowledge to real life situations.

Over the summer, I learned Python and developed AI using neural networks and MLP models, which fueled my interest in probabilities and statistics, and their application in cutting-edge technology, such as how AI adjusts weights and biases to accurately predict outcomes. As an aspiring bioengineer, I look forward to pursuing a degree that combines engineering and artificial intelligence, optimizing efficiency between humans and machines. Inspired by my cousin’s survival story, I’m focused on exploring new technologies, particularly those that apply to math to design machines for understanding the human body to be able to continue to help others, ensuring the progress and survival of our species. Whether it’s researching DNA replication to improve organ transplant success rates or using AI to detect patterns in hereditary diseases, I’m fascinated by how math and biology reveal the interconnectedness of out world.

I am determined to continue to work hard, challenge myself, and overcome obstacles to achieve my goals. This year, I am excited to be taking AP Physics C: Mechanics as well as another year in the i2 program. Being selected for this prestigious program as a freshman was a great honor, and I’m eager to continue to learn how creativity can change the world. Last year, fellow i2 member Leah Zheng and I developed a non-profit, volunteer-based math tutoring program for middle schools to combat academic challenges faced during COVID. Integrating our start up, Math Genies, into SHC’s student-led service organization, LVY, we ensured that our program will be able to help many students impacted by COVID, even after we graduate.

Outside of my classes, I am in the AASU (Asian American Student Union) and the California Scholarship Federation. I am also a co-president of SHC’s Science Olympiad Team and AI/Coding and App Development Club. Outside of school, I enjoy playing basketball with my league team and hanging out with my family. The concept of a team really resonates with me, as it is like a family. I always make time for my family because they are very important to me; I would not be where I am today without them. This drove my passion to want to give back to my community and others around me. Over the past two summers, I have spent time giving back to my Japanese’s community  at JCYC’s Tomodachi Summer program as a lead counselor; I also enjoy volunteering at food banks, donating to those in need, and helping at animal shelters.

My parents have always taught me to be inquisitive, and asking questions helped me learn about the world around me. They also hoped I would become someone who is able to speak up for myself, yet listen to others and respect their opinions. These concepts have formed many of my own goals, and throughout my high school journey, and as a part of the i2 program, I hope to become someone who makes our world a better place.

MY BLOGS

i2 2023-2024 Project Idea: Math Genies

Leah Zheng and I are developing a math tutoring program to help middle schoolers affected by COVID-19’s educational challenges. Our focus is Holy Name School’s 6th to 8th graders. We aim to connect Sacred Heart Cathedral high schoolers with these younger students, addressing pandemic-induced academic setbacks. Early math learning forms crucial problem-solving skills. With over […] Read more

Space-Z Phase 3+4: Experiment Results and Analysis (February 18-March 28)

In terms of data: We began with our initial survey to collect data to create a positive correlation between amount of sleep and well-being (Well-being: focus and energy levels), while considering other factors that may affect amount of sleep and well-being. We asked students 3 questions: how many hours of sleep they get each night, […] Read more

Space-Z Phase 2: Items and Testing (January 20-February 18)

Once all of our items arrived, we continued our testing phase in the Atrium with all of our items. Initially, I did not set time limits for my teammates. It was on a first-come-first-serve basis; I saw many of my friends sprinting up the stairs to the atrium as soon as school was over to […] Read more

Space-Z Phase 1.5: Considering the Interest of the Student Population (February 8, 2023)

In the beginning, we thought that a nap zone in DePaul would most likely be inefficient, since students were able to relax on the comfortable couches in the lobby and have no interest in our nap zones. However, we didn’t notice that the couches in DePaul are mainly used for studies, and by the end […] Read more

Space-Z Phase 1: Location and Pre-Testing (January 11-26)

After the shark tank, we met with Mr. Standley to talk with him about our potential ideas for nap zone spaces. With his advice, we reached out to Mr. Sazo, one of the deans, to talk with him about our ideas for our i2 project. Early January, he gave us permission to use the upper […] Read more

Space-Z: Shark Tank Reflections November 29, 2022 (Phase 0)

This was the first year Mr. Standley wanted to do a shark tank to make sure students had their i2 projects all thought out by the end of November. A few days before we were set to present to our sharks, Morgan and I polished off the rest of our presentation slides. We had our […] Read more

Beta Testing My Escape Room

Check out what happened during the trials on my website! https://sites.google.com/shcp.edu/i2-25-observations-analysis/home?authuser=0 or scan the QR code at the bottom of my third infographic! *Spoilers on puzzle answers Also a thank you shoutout to Alissa, Zoe, Kiana, Emily, Maddie, Kelly, Brevin, Alexis, Leah, Faith for participating in the run-throughs and for all your support. I really […] Read more

2 Weeks Left...the i2 Showcase

There are about 2 weeks left until the i2 Showcase Celebration, and my project is almost finished. Even in the past few days, I am constantly making revisions due to time constraints, one big change I have made is to not include the Minecraft maze for the participants to find their way through. It was […] Read more

i2 2022 Project Update: Project Escape: Doomsday

My project is going really well, although there were quite a few obstacles along the way. My initial idea for this project was to build a grand escape room for people to test out. What I didn’t realize at first was that it was not going to be possible for me to build a life-sized […] Read more

The i2 Journey Begins

In my application to Sacred Heart Cathedral, I expressed interest in becoming a member of the Inquiry and Innovation program and was excited to learn that I had been accepted. As a new member of i2, I was looking forward to meeting new people who had all come from different schools. Joining the i2 program […] Read more

i2 Projects

Project Escape: Doomsday

Today, many people spend their time looking at their phones and/or on social media constantly looking at what other people say about them and what they say about others; anonymity makes it difficult to recognize the impact of our everyday actions as we "hide" behind our screens. My project aims to have groups of people interact in-person, to analyze whether it makes a difference when people are no longer "protected by the internet" and have to communicate and collaborate in-person, face-to-face...

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Space-Z

In a perfect world, all teenagers would navigate through life, and around obstacles like homework, extra-curricular activities, and jobs to create a good sleep schedule. Unfortunately, most SHC students don’t have the time to get enough sleep. Results from a survey showed that our classmates’ average bedtime is midnight, and some even past that. On school days, they wake up at 6 am to get to school for block 7 or 8’s. That’s only 6 hours of sleep! When you don’t get enough sleep…

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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…

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Germline Ethics Research

Understanding the potential of genetic engineering is crucial for our generation and beyond. Breakthroughs like CRISPRCas9 hold immense promise in addressing genetic disorders and enhancing human health. Throughout history...

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