Our Mission

KAST’s mission is about showing what science is really about: creativity and discovery. We give our students a chance to interpret and understand science in a different way - creatively. We believe that understanding science in this way would be beneficial to all careers. We support these professional journeys that our students and volunteers may choose to pursue, regardless of whether it falls under the STEM umbrella. We teach high school students how to lead, organize a club, and channel their passion for science in a positive way that helps their local communities. These high school students then interactively show elementary school students what science is about - innovation and creativity - giving the elementary school students fun, lasting memories of how science affects their world. Through this student-led structure, our 501(c)3 has already spread this new way of learning science to over 10 states. If you have any questions or comments, email us at info@kidsarescientiststoo.org.

WHO WE ARE

Our senior leadership is by students, for students. High school students from Washington D.C. to Washington State and college students from Virginia Tech, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, Yale, and more collaborate to design content, raise funds, and teach programs. Learn more about the national executive team below. If you like what you’re reading, why not apply to join us?

Senior Executive Team

JESSICA SUN

Co-Chief Executive Officer

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA
Recognizing the need for quality, interactive science education in underprivileged areas in the US, Jessica searched for ways to help remedy this social issue. From her years of experience as a tutor and teacher, she felt that she could make a difference. Once she discovered that KAST shared her vision, she founded a branch for Virginia. The branch grew to 8 high schools and 11 elementary schools. Today, Jessica serves as CEO of KAST, managing operations within the organization, mentoring branches, leading meetings, and more. Jessica is a Computer Science Major at Virginia Tech's College of Engineering as a Pamplin Leader. In her spare time, Jessica enjoys reading, volleyball, and table tennis.

Suzanne Xu

Co-Chief Executive Officer

Yale University, New Haven, CT
Suzanne Xu joined KAST in 2010 when she was just a freshman in high school. She has always had a passion for teaching and was excited to find an organization that combined her interest with a great cause. As part of the KAST Executive Team, Suzanne works with Jessica Sun and Kevin Fan on KAST College, an initiative to engage graduated high school volunteers in KAST's development. Currently, Suzanne attends Yale University in New Haven, CT. She is primarily interested in the biological sciences and plans to attend medical school after completing her undergraduate degree. In her spare time, Suzanne enjoys blogging and working in Haven Free Clinic, which provides free healthcare to the residents of Fair Haven, CT.

VICTOR YING

Chief Operating Officer

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
After serving as one of KAST's first branch managers in 2010, Victor led KAST programs in Maryland in 2011-2012. Since graduating from high school, he has worked to provide technical and operational support to branches across the country. He greatly enjoys mentoring younger student leaders as they work to further the KAST mission in their own ways, driven by their own ideas. Victor received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Princeton University in 2016, with a focus in computer systems, but having pursued interests ranging from abstract algebra to linguistics. He is now pursuing a PhD, and works in computer architecture, parallel programming models, and compilers.

JESSICA YANG

Founder, Chairperson of Board, Co-leader KAST Edu

Jess advises the ideas and operation of KAST, and works with the KAST Edu team in creating the interactive, online education platform. Since founding the organization as a high schooler in 2010, she has designed hands-on science lessons, taught young students, and mentored the members of KAST. What better way is there to learn than through hands-on fun? Jess graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from MIT (‘15), where she served as President of her class and was a member of the Pi Beta Kappa society. She currently lives and works in New York.

MATTHEW SUN

Chief Technology Officer

Stanford University
Matthew is currently a freshman at Stanford University. He has a passion for computer science, biology, and chemistry, but he's even more passionate about being able to teach kids about STEM subjects through KAST. Matthew will never forget when he started his second year volunteering at KAST, and a student from the previous year remembered his name, ran up to hug him, and asked what fun science activity they'd be doing that day. In the past, he served as the Virginia President of KAST, so he managed Virginia operations and helped all of their high school branch presidents. Matthew is thankful for the opportunity to work with such a talented group of students from all over the country.

ALLAN WU

Chief Information Officer

Yale University, New Haven, CT
After meeting Matthew Sun, a fellow KAST member, in a summer research program and hearing about KAST through him, Allan found KAST a perfect fit for him, combining his passion for STEM with his love for teaching and education. California KAST was thus founded in 2015 in the Bay Area at Cupertino High School. Allan currently serves as the Chief Information Officer and is attending Yale, where he is majoring in Computer Science. Outside of school, Allan is interested in tech, basketball analytics, and reading.

GRACE CHEUNG

Chief Product Officer

Yale University, New Haven, CT
Grace first got her start with KAST as a freshman at Richard Montgomery High School. She has always loved science, and sharing that passion for science with the kids of KAST. Now, she serves as KAST's Chief Financial Officer while attending Yale University. She plans to major in the biological sciences and hopefully become a doctor.

ASHISH PATEL

Chief Financial Officer

Georgetown University, Washington DC
Ashish’s journey started in 9th grade when he learned kids were conducting a fun science program at his own elementary school. He began teaching with KAST almost accidentally and has since never looked back. In three years he would go on to become president of the founding chapter of KAST at Richard Montgomery High School. Although not pursuing a career in science himself, he has enjoyed spreading a love and appreciation for science to kids all around his community. He is currently seeking to major in finance and international political economy at Georgetown University. In his free time he loves to play soccer and go hiking with friends.

REGIONAL BRANCH PRESIDENTS

VIVIAN JIN

Illinois KAST President

University of Illinois at Chicago, IL
Vivian is a sophomore at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in the GPPA Medicine program. As a Biology major who discovered her interest in science as an elementary school student, she believes KAST can truly make a difference in her local Chicago community. Vivian loves mentoring younger kids and strives to promote the KAST missions of inspiring future generations in STEM and advocating for education equality. Outside of KAST, Vivian is active as the Communications Director of TEDx at UIC and a senior health educator in Peer Health Exchange, a non-profit that empowers ninth graders in Chicago Public high schools to make healthy decisions. In her free time, Vivian can be found exploring coffee shops, eating spicy food, or reading anything science fiction.

MUKTI PATEL

President of KAST Virginia

Midlothian High School, Midlothian, VA
Mukti has been interested in science from a young age, ever since the mysterious state-shifting oobleck sparked her interest in 2nd grade. She hopes to bring the same passion for science to elementary school kids by demonstrating fascinating experiments like she once encountered. Through teaching lessons at a local elementary school, Mukti realised how much the kids looked forward to KAST, and their enthusiasm to learn inspired her as she realized that they would be the bright leaders of the future. Outside of KAST, Mukti’s hobbies include art, teaching at mandir, playing Indian hand drums, piano, and tutoring underprivileged kids. She is also involved in the Latin Club, Rho Kappa, Interact, and Lead Up.

ROGER LUO

KAST Ontario President

Richmond Hill High School, Ontario, Canada
Roger’s unbound curiosity is what led him to grow an admiration and love for the subject science. Roger thinks that science is a subject unlike history or math, because it revolves around answering questions that are continuously being formed each day. Upon hearing about KAST through Jessica Yang, Roger thought it was an amazing idea to inspire children of younger ages to grow a love for science. Roger then proceeded to start a KAST club at Richmond Hill High School in the year of 2016. Outside of school, Roger is apart of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets and loves to play volleyball and table tennis whenever possible.

MICHEAL MUNSON

KAST Baylor President

Baylor University, Waco, Texas
During Christmas break his freshman year at Baylor University, Micheal had came across Allan Wu carrying out work for KAST at a Starbucks in Cupertino, California. Curious, Micheal had asked Allan about KAST and the organization’s motives. Very soon after, Micheal felt that his interests aligned well with those of KAST, and, thus, was borne a KAST branch in Waco, Texas. Aside from KAST and schoolwork, Micheal enjoys spending his time playing sports, jumping random, but clean, bodies of water, and exploring the nature around him.

EVA WANG

Texas KAST President

Katy, Texas
Yanran had a huge passion in science since elementary school, and the enthusiasm got deeper when she learned about science in junior high. Yanran started KAST Texas branch in 2016, and looked forward to get more local schools involve in it. KAST is a great opportunity for her to use her passion to impact others in the community. Beside KAST, Yanran actively does art and dance. She currently studies AP Studio Art ,and considers to create an session plan that links art and science together.

SHRUTI GUMATE

Michigan KAST State President and Branch Leader

Novi High School, Novi, MI
Her first year of participating in KAST as a volunteer she instantly fell in love with KAST’s work, and expanded startup in a neighboring city. Shruti believes it’s crucial to implement science education is such a way that youth will find it useful not only in the classroom, but in real life situations as well. As branch leader, she currently teaches at 2 elementary schools with over 20 volunteers and is working to expand to 2 additional schools in the coming year. In her freetime, Shruti volunteers at non-profits and is working toward helping the homeless in Detroit.

DANIELA MOREIRA

Co-President of KAST Richard Montgomery

Richard Montgomery, Rockville, Maryland
Daniela is a high school junior but a lifelong lover of science. She participated in KAST as a 5th grader when it was at its roots in 2012. Today she has returned with a certain kind of hunger to teach and give back. She avidly refers to herself as a child and strongly believes that to teach kids one must be a kid. Her mission as an educator is complete when science education is accessible to children of all ethnic groups, income levels, and backgrounds. In hopes of tackling the achievement gap in Maryland, she initiated a spanish-bilingual science program alongside KAST. When she’s not teaching, she’s your typical thespian acting in her school drama program or mastering her French.