SPARK! Student Leaders

Meet the SPARK! Student Leaders

Mimi Li - President of SPARK! & Economics

Hi, I’m Mimi, and I am a senior at GSSM! My favorite subjects are statistics, math, politics, and business-related classes. I plan on majoring in accounting and finances so I can use those skills in my everyday life. I am so excited to be able to see some familiar and new faces and talking about the economic components of online currency and advertisement in SPARK! this year. A few of my hobbies are drawing, sculpting, skateboarding, and listening to music (any David Bowie and Dream Theater fans out there?). My favorite food is any soup, and my favorite dessert would have to be pistachio ice cream. My favorite TV shows are Sherlock and The Queen’s Gambit, and some movies I like are “Constantine”, “A Clockwork Orange”, and “Forrest Gump.” I like the books Watership Down, Maniac Magee, and the Robert Langdon series. I’m looking forward to teaching you guys this year!

Annie Yuan - Vice President of STEM & Physics

Hello, I’m Annie and I am a senior at GSSM. I’m from Greenville, SC and my favorite subjects are computer science and physics. I took my first physics class last year as a junior, so I’m especially excited to continue exploring this field and share what I have learned with you all. Outside of school, I enjoy going home, spending time with my cat, and working on my various cross-stitch projects. My favorite ice cream flavor would have to be either coffee or mango and my favorite food is chicken, or any sort of bird. I look forward to meeting everyone in SPARK! this year!

Meredith Morningstar - Vice President of Humanities & Spanish

¡Buenos días! My name is Meredith Morningstar, and I am a senior here at GSSM as well as the SPARK! Spanish captain and VP of SPARK! Humanities. My favorite subjects are history, environmental science, government policy, and, of course, Spanish! I am from upstate South Carolina, and enjoy going to the local farmers markets, walking down Main Street in Greenville, and going to concerts. I love SPARK! because of its ability to help foster the minds and interests of kids all over the state in a variety of subjects. After all, knowledge is power! I look forward to teaching others about the language and culture of many Spanish-speaking countries and hope to make this year's SPARK! lessons full of adventure. P.S. My favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate Moose Tracks!

Nadia Ahmed - Press Secretary

Hi guys! My name is Nadia, and I am a senior at GSSM! My favorite subjects are anything related to chemistry or astronomy! I am the Press Secretary of SPARK! which gives me the opportunity to share the stories of the amazing work being done by our SPARK! team. At SPARK! We are dedicated to providing quality workshops to those interested in the STEM field! Outside of school, I enjoy music, reading, shopping, and running. Some of my favorite artists are Tyler, The Creator, Kali Uchis, SZA, Frank Ocean, and Erykah Badu! Music is a big part of my life. I play the violin, guitar, and ukulele, as well. I also love to travel and explore new places. As for my favorite, ice cream, I love mango. I am so excited to meet you all and welcome you to SPARK!

Ann Jiang - Chinese

Hi, I’m Ann, and I’ll be leading Chinese/Asian Studies this year! I’m a senior at GSSM and I’m from Darlington, SC. Since I was young, I was always excited to teach others about my culture. I also loved being able to learn more about my roots! Being a part of SPARK! allows me to spread my passion and knowledge while learning more about the culture, myself. In my free time, I like going on walks, playing volleyball, and painting! My favorite ice cream flavor is red velvet. When I joined SPARK! last year, I saw how interested the students were, so I can’t wait to share my knowledge and culture with you all this year!

Anna Phan – Psychology

Hello! I’m Anna, your SPARK! Psychology leader. I’m a senior at GSSM and I’m from Greenville. I’ve always loved learning about psychology and biology and I’m excited to share that knowledge with others. Outside of school, I love going on walks, listening to music, and crocheting. I also love reading books and watching shows. My favorite movie is “Kiki’s Delivery Service from Studio Ghibli”, my favorite book is If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang, and my favorite artist is Tomorrow x Together (TXT). My absolute favorite ice cream flavor is Publix limited edition Peppermint Stick ice cream, it is a must during Christmas time. Being a part of SPARK! in my junior year has allowed me to explore my passion for teaching and the opportunity to learn new things about the subjects that I love. I’m looking forward to leading SPARK! Psychology this year and sharing my knowledge and passion for psychology with you!

Ashley Niu - Math

Hi everyone, my name is Ashley Niu, and I will be leading SPARK Math! Math creates the foundation for all careers, and we use it in our everyday lives. I have always loved math because of its objectivity and versatility. As a senior I plan on taking discrete structures and multivariable calculus, and in college, I hope to proceed along the pre-med track, majoring in biology or biochemistry. In my free time, I love to run, play the piano, and read. I have run cross country for four years, and I have played the piano for fourteen years. My favorite book is John Steinbeck’s The Red Pony. My favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate (boring, I know), and my favorite snack is any type of fruit. I look forward to meeting you all, and I am excited for a great year!

Becky Zheng - Computer Science

Hello! I’m Becky, and I’ll be leading SPARK! Computer Science this year. I’m a senior at GSSM, and I’m from Orangeburg, SC. I have always been interested in computers, especially artificial intelligence, which I plan on studying in the future. Being in SPARK! allows me to share my passion with others who have similar interests. In my free time, I enjoy playing video games, playing instruments, and trying new foods. My favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry cheesecake, and my favorite fruits are mangoes and persimmons. I look forward to meeting you all this year!

Corie O’Connell - Marine Biology

Hello oceanographers! I am Corie O’Connell. I am a senior at GSSM, and I am from Bluffton, SC. I love the ocean and I am super excited to share my passion with others. I plan to study marine science and music technology in the future. In my free time I play guitar and hang out with friends. My favorite ice cream flavor would have to be chocolate chip although I do prefer frozen yogurt. I enjoy attending seminars and classes outside of GSSM to learn more about the ocean, from its nonliving features as well as taking classes like AP Environmental Science through GSSM. I joined SPARK! last year to try new things and I fell in love. I'm excited to share what I have learned about marine biology as well as learn some new things along the way!

Gomahi Dutta - Sociology

Hi everyone, my name is Gomahi and I'm a senior at GSSM. I am very excited to be leading SPARK! Sociology this year. I love teaching you guys and I have so much fun doing it! I can’t wait to share my knowledge about sociology and for you all to discover more about it. A little bit about myself is that my favorite subject is chemistry, I am a classical dancer, and my favorite flavor of ice cream is chocolate. I enjoy hanging out with my friends, dancing with my club, and going on long walks. I also enjoy binge watching Friends and YouTube videos. I hope you guys are as excited for Sociology this year as I am!

Juliette Gaspary - Music

Hey guys! My name is Juliette Gaspary. I’m from Indian Land, South Carolina, and I am the Spark! Music teacher. I have always loved music, not just listening to it, but making it too. I am currently in a band here at GSSM and we love jamming together. My favorite subject is chemistry and I hope to become a pharmacist when I grow up. My favorite ice cream flavor would have to be Love Potion from Baskin Robbins (the berry and chocolate flavors just work so well together!). In my free time I like to listen to music, whether it’s on the radio, my Walkman, or record player. I also love making music with my band, playing together whenever we can. My favorite show is Freaks and Geeks and my favorite movie is “10 Things I Hate About You.” I can’t wait to share with you my favorite aspects about music. I hope to see you in my class soon!

Marion Sturkie - History

Hey, my name is Marion Sturkie! I'm a senior at GSSM, and I am from the small town of Swansea, SC. My favorite subjects are History and Biology. I love to teach and help others so I'm very excited to lead SPARK! History this year and take you through a trip back in time. Some fun facts about me are I've been playing the clarinet for almost 7 years. I am a certified advanced open water diver and I’m nitrox certified. I love Moose Tracks ice cream (AKA the better version of rocky road), and my favorite snack is fruit!

Mary O’Brien - Chemistry

Hey there! I'm Mary. I am a senior at GSSM, and I'm from Summerville, right outside of Charleston. My favorite subjects are biology, chemistry, and physics, and I am so excited to share my love for chemistry with all of you. In my free time, I enjoy reading, writing, spending time with my sisters, and watching rom coms with my roommate. My absolute favorite artist is Taylor Swift, and I've been a devoted Swiftie since I was 5 years old. My favorite ice cream flavor would have to be strawberry. I loved working with SPARK! in my junior year because it gave me a great opportunity to share my passions with students who are equally as curious as me. One thing I love about chemistry is that it you can find it at work in everything we see, do, and experience. Chemistry is, quite literally, everything and everywhere. I look forward to meeting you all and diving into the realm of chemistry!

Phoebe Anagnos - Literature

Hi, I’m Phoebe! I am a senior at GSSM, and I am from a super small town in the upstate. I love writing and journaling, as well as all things history. I plan to major in journalism with a minor in history in college. I have played tennis for almost ten years and enjoy spending time in nature and traveling. My favorite ice cream flavor is classic strawberry. I like reading historical non-fiction, and one book I find particularly interesting is The Radium Girls. Though I love reading books, I will always turn to poetry first. My favorite TV show is Gilmore Girls, and my favorite movie is “The Parent Trap.” I joined SPARK! last year. The curiosity and excitement of the students has since then inspired me. I can't wait for the SPARK! literature lessons, and to share my passion for literature with other students!

Peter Hoegy - Medicine

Hey everyone! My name is Peter Hoegy, and I am from Fort Mill, SC. I’m really looking forward to diving into all things related to health, biology, and research through SPARK! Medicine this year! I am very passionate about all things related to the biological sciences and how these sciences are applied around the world to help people. Some hobbies of mine are keeping exotic pets (two blue poison dart frogs and axolotls), plants, gardening, and going to the gym. If I had to choose a favorite ice cream flavor, it would probably be mint chocolate chip. I can’t wait to show you the wonders of medicine!

Robert Simmonds - Cyber Security

Hello all, I am Robert, “Robbie” Simmonds and I will be leading the SPARK! Cyber Security course this year. I have a deep interest in computer science and specifically like machine learning and artificial intelligence. I have recently grown to enjoy networking systems and cyber security, which is why I am teaching this class. Outside of technology, I enjoy chess, weightlifting, physics, and learning about different cultures. My favorite snack is oatmeal raisin cookies. I hope to be able to teach you something new about the world of cyber security and maybe learn some things as well!

Rohan Sarkar - Robotics

Hi, my name is Rohan, I am a senior at GSSM, and I am from Charleston, SC. My favorite subjects are Math and Biology. I love learning new things and being able to teach others, so being in SPARK! is a delight. Robotics has been a passion of mine since 6th grade, and I am very excited to share this with others. I also love playing basketball, playing instruments, and spending time outdoors. My favorite ice cream flavor is definitely salted caramel. I love traveling and experiencing new cultures. Hopefully, I can spread my love of robotics, as I am excited to lead SPARK! robotics this year!

 

Sara Geis - Environmental Science

Hi! I am Sara Geis. I am a senior at GSSM, and I am from Clover, SC. I love learning about environmental science and implicating practices to better the environment. GSSM has really allowed me to explore my interest in so many ways through working on community improvement projects, taking AP Environmental Science, and other specialized classes such as Restoration Ecology, Botany and even Research in Hydroponics. In my free time, I love doing yoga and going thrifting. My favorite ice cream flavor is Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie and I have a dog named Chase who I adore. Being a part of SPARK! last year really showed me how important it is to teach these lessons because this is a world full of curious young people. I am very excited to be able to share environmental knowledge with others through SPARK! this year!

Saravan Vishnubhotla - Biology

Hello there! I’m Saravan. I am currently a senior at GSSM, and I will be leading the SPARK! Biology course this year. I am from Florence, SC. My favorite subjects are biology and chemistry, and I am very excited to work with all of you and share my passion for science. Outside of school, I enjoy running, playing soccer, and learning about various types of animals. Watching documentaries about animals has been a favorite pastime of mine since I was a little kid! My favorite ice cream flavor is either birthday cake or cookie dough. I really loved working in SPARK! Biology during my junior year, because it helped me connect with people that had a similar passion to mine. One thing I enjoy about SPARK! is that it we get to take what we have learned in school and share with younger students across the state. SPARK! also encourages students to learn more about the subjects they are passionate about. I hope we will all get to learn something new this year and I really look forward to meeting all of you in SPARK!