Chaitanya Arora

STEM scholarship, 2021

As the 2021 STEM Scholarship recipient, Chaitanya (Cherry) Arora used her grant to attend the Yale University Young Global Scholars program. By engaging with Yale professors, students and like-minded high schoolers from around the world, Cherry’s passion for STEM and exposure to new areas of research has flourished. Continue reading as she shares her experiences in one of the most globally diverse, two-week academic summer programs in the world.

Last year, I was fortunate enough to be awarded the STEM Scholarship by the Mac.Rob Foundation. This $1500 financial aid is designed to recognise and support a student undertaking study in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM).

By using the awarded scholarship, I was able to attend the Yale Young Global Scholars program which is one of the leading summer school programs for high school students run by Yale University. I undertook the Innovations in Science and Technology (IST) stream where I was able to learn from leading Yale professors and gain an understanding of various STEM areas. I participated in a range of lectures and seminars including “An Intro to Particle Physics”, “The Miracle of Wifi”, “The Language of Chemistry” and more! By engaging with Yale professors and students as well as like-minded high schoolers from around the world, I was able to strengthen my passion for STEM and expose myself to new areas of research. This opportunity also helped me gain an insight into the American college experience as I was able to attend college-level classes and hear from members of the Yale University faculty. 

Alongside nurturing my interest and understanding of STEM areas, this program also pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I had to take risks, challenge my beliefs and be open to conflicting ideas whilst learning how to compromise. Overall, this experience has exposed me to new cultures, STEM fields and people and I am extremely grateful to the Mac.Rob Foundation and its sponsors for this opportunity. After completing the program, I created a YouTube series sharing my experience as well as advice for students applying to YYGS this year.