Founder
Hey everyone! My name is Leah Song, an 11th grade student at Maclay School in Tallahassee, Florida. I was born in Seoul, South Korea, where I spent the first 13 years of my life. After finishing elementary school, my life experienced a massive shift as I moved to Toronto, Canada and eventually to the small part of Florida where I am today. My primary interests are biology, neuroscience, creative writing, and multicultural studies.
My Story
Growing up in South Korea with an extremely binary and hypercompetitive education system, I failed to grasp the possibility of an interdisciplinary approach in academics. Instead, I witnessed my peers pursue STEM solely from extrinsic motivation rather than sheer passion. Even after my transition to the US with a more liberal learning system, I encountered the same issue of STEM education being perceived as a symbol of academia and pursuing it with mere passion was deemed a luxury that many simply cannot afford. However, given the benefit of the doubt, simply being surrounded by eager peers in my math club quickly instilled in me the hope that there was still room for enthusiasm. I realized the importance of forming a community and how the group itself can become a source of drive and motivation. Even for individuals not engaged in academia, I believe that STEM permeates the most mundane aspects of life. Through IRIS, I hope to unite passionate students from across the world and make STEM more accessible for everyone, regardless of socioeconomic conditions.