Page 25 - Menlo Magazine Summer 2019

Reaching the
Summit
Charlotte Acra ’20
presented at the United
Nations’ inaugural
Youth Impact Summit
on April 12. Held at the
UN headquarters in
New York, the summit
focused on youth
involvement in solving
the UN’s sustainable-
development goals.
Charlotte headlined the
Gender Equality chapter and gave a 20-minute speech about her research and work with Little Miss Code, the organization she founded to bridge the gender and socioeconomic gaps
in STEM through early intervention education. The group has worked with hundreds of low-income, underserved students from around Silicon Valley over the past couple of years and is planning to expand its reach to other regions in the U.S. and overseas, in countries such as Lebanon. Charlotte has been an active member of Menlo’s Model UN program since ninth grade and will serve as its co-president this year.
Making a Statement
An editorial about mental health care by Walter Li ’19 was selected as a runner-up in
the New York Times’ Sixth
Annual Student Editorial
Contest. During Walter’s time
at Menlo, he led the Mental
Health at Menlo Club and
helped establish a new Wellness
Center in the Student Center. In
the editorial, Walter writes, “...the status
quo of the current mental health system must be challenged. This system is not working: it is too expensive, too inaccessible, and too stigmatized. We cannot go forward unless we carefully examine and alter mental health treatment. Now is the time to have that conversation.”You can see it here (scroll down to see Walter’s piece): https://nyti.ms/2WmHymr.
Challenge Accepted
Abby Doll ’19 and Grace MacDonald ’19 teamed up to earn one of 13 honorable mention accolades at the Cooper Hewitt National High School Design Competition. Participating in the contest as part of the Design and Architecture class, the students were challenged to design something based on the prompt:“What can you design that will solve a global issue/
eliminate an environmental
problem?” Abby and Grace
conceptualized an idea for
holding a six-pack of cans
together as an alternative
to the plastic rings many
beverage manufacturers
currently use. Their
environmentally friendly
design features a handle
made from coconut fibers that works in combination with an adhesive that holds the cans together. The design is both durable and fully recyclable.
Using Their Imaginations
In April, the Middle School Improv Club made its first trip to the state championship, which was held in Clovis, CA, through Destination Imagination, an international educational program that enhances the growth and learning of students in the classroom. Menlo’s team of sixth graders joined other teams of students, ranging from third grade through university level, to solve one of six open-ended challenges in the fields of STEM, fine arts, and service learning and present their solutions at the tournament.
MENLO MAGAZINE
A Touching Tale
Isabella Madruga ’20 was awarded
first place in the Young Adult
Division of the Palo Alto Weekly’s
33rd Annual Short Story Contest.
Isabella’s work, Dancing with
Death, tells the touching story of
a dying old woman who encounters
death and manages to win the struggle,
at least for a while. Isabella says Dancing with Death aims to remind readers that “death is not something to be avoided, it’s something to embrace.” One of the judges noted that Isabella’s short story “is elegant and imagistic yet controlled...[it’s] a pleasure to read.”View the story here: https://bit.ly/2zADTIV.
23