Leadership

Om Shah

Co-founder, Co-president

I am a senior at the Lakeside School and I am passionate about conducting machine learning research. My calling for creating Seattle Science Lab came from observing two aspects of the field I have devoted my high school to: a lack of diversity at science fairs and the high financial burden of accessing research opportunities. My goal is to broaden access to science opportunities in historically under-served areas of Seattle.

Henry Jacqmotte

Co-founder, Co-president

I am a senior at the Lakeside School and am passionate about the field of biotechnology. I decided to help create the Seattle Science Lab after trying to schedule my own laboratory visits with college research laboratories. During the process, I faced a barriers ranging from long response times to age-restrictions that made it incredibly difficult to engage with college laboratories. I aim to make science more accessible to high schoolers in the Seattle region by decreasing the barriers associated with science research. 

Tsiyone Tilahun

Outreach Coordinator, Kentridge Chapter Director

I am a junior at Kentridge High School and a Running Start student working towards an Associate of Science. As a low-income student, I found it challenging to access lab and science extracurriculars due to high costs. This experience motivated me to join Seattle Science Lab as the outreach officer and social media manager. My goal is to make STEM internships and lab experiences accessible to people of all backgrounds in the Seattle region. By addressing barriers such as long response times and age restrictions, I aim to make science more inclusive and accessible for high school students.

Jie Ying Tan

Outreach Coordinator, Kentridge Chapter Director

I am a junior at Kentridge High School and a Running Start student at Green River College pursuing a science transfer pathway. As a student in South King County, I recognized that many students in my local and surrounding communities struggle to find science and research opportunities for gaining experiences and skills, expanding their learning, or supporting them in their passions. This encouraged me to become part of the outreach team in Seattle Science Lab to work towards my goal of increasing the inclusivity of science opportunities for all students by ensuring all resources we offer are widely promoted and shared.

Nimona Namera

Lab Tour Coordinator

I am a sophomore at Lakeside School who aspires to work in the field of medicine and create change through biomedical engineering. In pursuing biomedical opportunities, I experienced firsthand the difficulties that many high school students face in accessing scientific research/opportunities, whether it's due to a lack of awareness or a lack of resources. As a result, I was motivated to join the Seattle Science Lab team as the lab tour coordinator to help create possibilities for all students to access science!

Sofia Pallais-Aks

Journal Club Coordinator

I am a senior at Lincoln High School in Seattle and I am delighted to join the leadership team of the Seattle Science Lab because I believe in its mission to empower high school students in STEM. One thing that has become clear to me as an aspiring scientist is that scientific journals are crucial for student success in STEM. Yet, they tend to be written in a way that is often difficult to understand for high school students. What we aim to do in the Journal Club Program is to create a forum where we will help make scientific journals more accessible, encourage leadership for all students to present their own passions, and provide a cohesive support network for students exploring STEM.

Ishaan Makam

SROP Coordinator

I am a junior at Newport High School who is passionate about aerospace and mechanical engineering. After participating in the Fall SROP program, I gained hands-on research experience through my capstone project, which focused on optimizing rocket fins using 3D design and simulations. Working with university mentors was a unique and transformative experience. I am excited to join the leadership team to help other students gain the same opportunities and explore their passions in STEM.