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The LEAH Project Newsletter
In This Edition You'll Find:
- Announcements
- Youth Spotlight
- Partner Spotlights
- From the Youth
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As we reflect on the year, we are deeply grateful for everyone who makes the LEAH Project possible — our youth, mentors, staff, partners, afterschool sites, funders, and supporters. Here are some highlights:
- 99% High school graduation
- 95% College enrollment
- 95% College persistence (vs. 76% nationally)
- $1.6M+ earned in scholarships and grants
- 81% of interns increased science skills
- 81% of our college-bound youth chose STEM majors
Your belief in our mission enables young people to access paid STEM internships, college readiness support, and near-peer mentorship that transforms futures.
Thank you for being part of our community.
If you'd like to donate to sustain our work, you can do so here.
Wishing you a joyful and restorative holiday season!
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Awan Awan
High School Senior at Lynn Vocational Technical Institute
Winner of the Massachusetts Junior Academy of Science Competition & Representative for the upcoming annual American Junior Academy of Sciences convention in February 2026.
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Written by: Awan Awan
If you told me last summer that I would spend my break interning at MIT, discovering a new functionality of an understudied protein and becoming a Massachusetts Delegate representing the state at a national scientific conference in Phoenix, Arizona. I would’ve looked at you like you were crazy. But that’s exactly how my summer unfolded.
Thanks to MIT Senior Lecturer Dr. Mandana Sassanfar and my MIT mentor Paloma Kuralic, connections I made through the LEAH-Knox program. I joined the Vos Lab in MIT’s Department of Biology as the only high school student among graduate students and postdocs. I started my internship quietly observing, unsure where I fit or how I could contribute. But soon, the postdocs became my mentors and collaborators. Each week, I rotated among them, learning science, perspective, and, most importantly, when to speak up and ask questions. At first, I felt out of place, surrounded by people with years of experience, but curiosity and excitement pulled me in. I wasn’t afraid to ask the “dumb questions.”
Over eight weeks, my goal was to test whether an understudied protein interacted with a key DNA-binding protein, something no one in the lab had explored. Week by week, my labmates guided me through new techniques and methods. Many assays failed, but those failures taught me to think like a scientist, questioning every result, asking not just why something happened, but how.
Eventually, the results appeared: the two proteins did interact. The finding sparked excitement around the lab and led me to present at multiple symposiums, winning at the Massachusetts Junior Academy of Science and representing the state at the national American Junior Academy of Sciences (AJAS) conference in 2026.That moment of discovery made me feel like I truly belonged in STEM. It showed me that curiosity and persistence could lead to real contributions. This experience solidified my confidence and excitement for a future in science.
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Kymera Therapeutics &
Blueprint Medicines
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A Visit to Kymera Therapeutics
Written by: Elmeria Cheung
Our visit to Kymera Therapeutics was so insightful and informative! We were able to listen to a panel of Kymera employees, take a tour of the lab, and have lunch with some of the Kymera interns. The interactive panel allowed us to learn about the different components of a biotechnology company and the academic and career journeys of the Kymera employees. During the panel, the employees answered all our questions about what it’s like to work in a mid-size biotechnology company. Additionally, the tour of the lab showed us the day-to-day life of employees at Kymera as well as the dynamic work that they do. My favorite part of the visit was getting to have lunch with the interns because they were around our age and gave us a lot of useful advice on entering the STEM field! At the end of the visit, Kymera generously gifted us all a Kymera-branded drawstring bag and a handful of chocolate!
Overall, the visit inspired me to consider a future of working within a biotechnology company or something similar.
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A Visit to Blueprint Medicines
Written by: Jamie Perez
Our visit to Blueprint Medicines was amazing. They gave us a short presentation about the company, where they all started, and more insight on the biotechnology industry as a whole. We then got to play biotech Jeopardy against each other with a chance to win prizes. Later during our visit, we got a tour of their huge space, and it was my first time being in a lab of that scale. There were so many machines and tools across the whole lab, and it was so fascinating to learn about what they all did. They showed us a room filled to the brim with different bottles with such a wide variety of stuff inside like different organisms or samples they’re storing for future use. They also showed us these freezers that went below -100 degrees Celsius which was so cool to see. The research scientists that showed us around the lab were so friendly and taught us a lot about their daily schedule, working with Blueprint, how the lab runs, and how it all meshes together with the rest of their colleagues' work. The people at Blueprint were nothing but kind to us and we were so grateful to be able to tour such a great company with an amazing lab space!
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College Conversations Night | Dec. 2025
Written by: Julissa McKenzie
On December 15th, 2025, LEAH youths, like myself, were given the immense opportunity to listen and discuss with LEAH alumni on the various pathways to deciding a college and life in the realm of higher education. The event was filled with an atmosphere of warmth and friendliness as LEAH staff encouraged us youth to ask questions and talk with our guests. While our speakers helped us get a sense of what our future college goals and expectations may look like, whether that be in terms of: making college lists, social life on campus, and balancing academic and personal life. They also made sure to inform us on how impactful the LEAH staff were as support for the college application process; a great tip for us juniors. Thus, as a junior myself the event was an amazing source on how I should prepare for my search for colleges, and how I should conduct my time in college so I can make the best out of my college experience.
| | | |  | | A special thanks to all of our panelists featured in the above right picture (left to right): Amrin Jenny, Sybille Delice, Jasmine Cabey, Henry Lopez, Gurkiran Kaur | | |
College Readiness | Fall 2025
Written by: Jaellany Rivera
My experience with CRP has been a busy but exciting journey, helping me search for colleges that match my interests and push me to grow. Being in CRP has really supported me through the application process by teaching me about college internships and giving me a real picture of what college life is like. In this program, I learned how to set up my Common App and FAFSA, and how to write strong college essays so schools can better understand who I am and why I want to attend. I enjoyed participating in these activities because I can use all this information to build a bright future for myself. Most of all, CRP has shown me that I have support along the way and has helped me see my own growth and what awaits me in the future.
| | This summer was truly one of the best summers I have ever had. I met the most incredible people and learned so much about STEM and various careers. While the lab activities were challenging, the MassBioEd instructors were extremely nurturing. The LEAH program never felt monotonous. The wide variety of activities introduced me to things I never knew. Field trips to professional labs, college visits, and workshops taught me firsthand how to approach college applications, resumes, and have one-on-one conversations lab professionals. I am also grateful for opportunities to continue with LEAH, which includes college preparation and STEM Teaching. LEAH does not stop investing and engaging with their students after the summer; rather, they devote time, energy, and care to each of them. | |
| Everyone around me was hungry, curious, and accomplished. But one starry-eyed thing we had in common was that we were green. Being green meant asking questions even when we didn’t know the answer, trying protocols that we didn't know how they worked, and being okay with data that made no sense until it finally did. In the Learning Lab, we had the space to fail safely, to reflect honestly, and to try again together. The stream of encouragement from my lab mates and the LEAH project supported me when my experiments failed. I am happy to know I can bring the lessons I learned wherever I go. Whether running a PCR and loading a gel, or simply reading an academic paper I’ll be able to reflect upon the skills I learned and used them in my next endeavor. | | That's all for now, see you next year! | | | | |
