Lani Ching

The fellowship was such an incredible experience! It provided me with so much knowledge, insight, and advice for the future. I’ve always had big ideas, but I’ve never known how to go about pursuing them, until the fellowship! All of the amazing mentors through this program helped inspire me so much, that I even started my own nonprofit. I recommend the fellowship to any students out there who are ambitious and love anything STEM related!

Lani Ching is a high school student from Massachusetts with a passion for biology, chemistry, and giving back to her community. Over the past few years, Lani has participated in science fairs and explored projects ranging from plant biology to microbiology. One of her proudest achievements was discovering that homemade pepper oil-based products could outperform store-bought alternatives in alleviating arthritis.

Outside of research and her other extracurricular activities, Lani is a talented musician and plays both the flute and piccolo. Over the summer, Lani was inspired by Amanda, a mentor from the fellowship, to launch her own nonprofit, the Melodic Miracles Foundation. The organization supports aspiring young musicians who face financial barriers. Through Lani’s leadership, the foundation has already raised $500 and hosted its first fundraising event. Read on to learn more about Lani’s science fair projects, her music nonprofit, and her future aspirations!

Meet Lani

How did you initially become interested in STEM, and what subjects are you interested in?

I wasn’t really sure what I was interested in at first, but I think it all started in 8th grade when I had an amazing science teacher. He taught me so much about different topics in science, from chemistry and biology to geology. His class was so engaging, and I found it all incredibly interesting. That’s when my passion for science really sparked.

After that, when I started high school, I really enjoyed my freshman biology class—it made me fall in love with biology. Then, in my sophomore year, I found chemistry to be just as fascinating. Now, as a junior, I’m taking AP Chemistry, and it’s quickly become one of my favorite subjects. So overall, I would say biology and chemistry are now my favorite subjects in STEM.

What extracurriculars are you involved in?

I’ve participated in two science fairs so far, and I’m preparing for my third one. Both of my previous projects were biology-based. In my freshman year, I grew pea plants and tested how they grew in different environments. Last year, I focused on microbiology, specifically testing pepper oil-based products used to alleviate arthritis. I created homemade versions of these products and tested them against store-bought versions using bacteria to measure their effectiveness. I found the homemade products were actually more effective overall, which was really exciting.

I’m also involved in several clubs at school. The one I’m most passionate about is Key Club, where I serve as the historian. I take photos at our events and manage the Instagram page. I also help organize volunteering activities, like working at soup kitchens. It’s such a meaningful club, and I love being a part of it. Additionally, I’m involved in Letters for Rose, where I hold a leadership position. This organization writes letters to older people, particularly those in nursing homes, to help reduce feelings of loneliness. It was started during COVID, and it’s a really thoughtful initiative.

Outside of clubs, I’m very involved in my high school band. I’ve been part of it since freshman year, and I play both the flute and piccolo. I recently started a non-profit, Melodic Miracles Foundation, to share my love of music with others.

That's awesome! Could you tell us more about the nonprofit you started?

The mission of Melodic Miracles Foundation is to support young musicians who want to pursue a music education but may not have the financial means to do so. We have a website, an Instagram page, and a donation platform to keep the momentum going. I set up both an adult board and a student board, and we’ve already raised $500 through donations. We’ve also held one successful fundraising event at a local town event, which went really well. It’s been a lot of hard work, but seeing everything come together has been incredibly rewarding.

I was actually inspired by one of the mentors from the summer to start this nonprofit. One of the mentors, Amanda, spoke about her nonprofit, Pop for a Cause. I had never heard of a high schooler starting a nonprofit before, and Amanda’s energy and positivity were so motivating. She made the whole process seem approachable, and she shared practical steps she took to turn her idea into a reality. That talk made me realize, “I can actually do this too.” It gave me the confidence to launch Melodic Miracles and take that big leap into creating something impactful.

Summer Experience

What was your favorite part about the fellowship?

My favorite part of the fellowship was how supportive everyone was. The mentors were incredibly encouraging, and I really enjoyed meeting the other fellows. It was so refreshing to connect with people who shared similar goals and interests. It was really cool to connect with such amazing individuals.

One of the highlights for me was the office hours. It was a great opportunity to sit down and talk to mentors. Everyone was so willing to help, and the whole experience was just really positive. I also had a great time meeting other fellows through the Coffee Chats and Ideathons. For example, I worked on a project with one student during the Ideathon, and afterward, we ended up talking about all sorts of random things for hours—it was really cool!

What was your favorite Fireside Chat from the summer?

My favorite Fireside Chat was Siya’s. She was incredibly inspiring, and she spoke about how she got started with research in high school. The research she did in high school was amazing, and her story gave me so much motivation to continue pursuing my ideas.

What really stood out to me about Siya’s Fireside Chat—and this goes for all the speakers in the fellowship—was how applicable the advice was. They didn’t just share their stories—they also gave actionable tips on how we could pursue similar paths. They made it clear that while achieving these goals isn’t easy, it is definitely possible. The combination of inspiration and practical advice was incredibly valuable and has stuck with me as I continue working toward my own goals.

What was the most valuable lesson you learned?

The most valuable lesson I learned came from Jiwoo’s talk. She focused on the concept of finding your “North Star,” and that idea really stuck with me. Before the fellowship, I had a general idea of what my North Star was, but I struggled with figuring out how to take concrete steps to achieve it. For me, my North Star is to become a doctor, and that’s the direction I’m working toward.

Also, through the mentorship and advice from other fellows, I learned how to take big ideas and break them down into actionable steps. This helped me move from just brainstorming to actually accomplishing things, which is something I had always struggled with before. It gave me the tools to actually make progress toward my goals.

What advice would you give to future participants of the fellowship?

My advice would be to take full advantage of everything the fellowship offers, including the optional activities. The mandatory sessions are really great, but some of the optional ones, like the Ideathons or game nights, gave me even more insight and helped me build stronger connections with the other fellows.

If you only participate in the required sessions, you might miss out on forming those meaningful relationships and experiences that really make the fellowship special. Fully engaging in everything the program offers will help you get the most out of it and set you up for great things in the future. The more you put into the fellowship, the more you’ll gain from it.

Future Aspirations

What are your career goals?

I’ve known for a long time that I wanted to be a doctor, but deciding on a specialty wasn’t as clear to me. After hearing the talks during the fellowship, especially about finding your “North Star,” I realized how important it is to pursue something you're truly passionate about. A career should excite you, not bore you, and the fellowship really helped me understand that.

Now, I think I’m leaning toward dermatology or allergy medicine. Both are areas I’ve personally struggled with—I’ve had severe allergies and eczema, and it’s something I can really resonate with. I’d love to help others who face similar challenges. Reflecting on my own experiences with allergies and skin issues, I realized that helping others manage and alleviate those problems would be really fulfilling for me. The fellowship helped me see that dermatology or allergy fields align with my interests and passions, and I’m excited to pursue them in the future.

What have you been up to since the fellowship?

Since the fellowship, the main project I’ve been focusing on is Melodic Miracles. Right now, the nonprofit is mostly active within my town, but my goal is to eventually expand it to other towns and even statewide.

I’m also working on building a student volunteer group as part of the nonprofit. I already have my student board in place, but the volunteer group will focus on mentoring middle and intermediate school students—essentially two grades below high school. The group will help with music mentoring, which aligns with the overall mission of Melodic Miracles.

Through my research over the summer, I found that there are quite a few music nonprofits out there with great missions, like providing access to musical instruments. That’s a key goal for Melodic Miracles as well. But one thing that stood out during the fellowship was the importance of making your organization unique. That’s where the mentoring program comes in. It adds a layer to our mission by not only providing instruments but also helping students improve their music skills.

This aligns with my broader mission of not just making music accessible but also empowering students to develop their talents and grow their skills. It’s about giving them the tools to succeed both in music and in life.