Maria Nychtaraki

Being in the fellowship was a life changing, eye-opening experience! It completely altered my perspective on life and high school, and it introduced me to opportunities I had never before imagined! All the staff was incredibly helpful and inspiring; it made me realize how empowering it is to have role models and mentors in the field of STEM! Thank you for creating this wonderful experience for us!

Maria Nychtaraki is a high school student from Greece with a strong passion for mathematics and biology. Growing up, Maria participated in many science and math olympiads, placing first in the Greek National Physics competition and second in the Greek National Mathematics competition. As she grew older, Maria became very interested in biology, particularly genetics and brain science. She is currently exploring research topics like optogenetics and is working on a brain simulation to study potential genetic treatments.

Beyond STEM, Maria is an avid reader, volleyball player, and Taekwondo competitor. She also enjoys crocheting and listening to Greek classical music. Read on to learn more about Maria’s journey, her ambitions in neuroscience, and her vision for a future in STEM!

Meet Maria

How did you initially become interested in STEM?

My journey into STEM began when I was very young. My mom and grandfather are both doctors, and I spent a lot of time in my grandfather's cardiology office, watching him work and interact with patients. I loved being there, and I even became his unofficial secretary at times!

Then, as I got older, school played a big role. In 7th grade, I had an incredible biology teacher who explained everything so well that my curiosity grew even more. Last year, my interest peaked when we had a genetics module—it was fascinating to see how one DNA strand could dictate so much, from protein coding to function and amino acids. It was mind-blowing! That experience really set me on a path toward STEM, and especially toward biology.

Can you tell us more about your interests in biology, and any other STEM subjects you’re interested in?

In biology, I'm especially interested in the brain and genetics. Anything related to DNA and genes, like CRISPR-Cas9 technology or neuroscience and optogenetics, absolutely fascinates me. The idea that we can use light to manipulate brain activity is just incredible!

As for school subjects, I love STEM in general, especially biology, chemistry, math. I also really enjoy the humanities, including English and history. There’s not really a subject I dislike — I just love learning in general!

What extracurriculars are you involved in?

I recently changed schools and moved from Greece to Bahrain, and my new school currently doesn't offer many STEM extracurriculars. When I was in Greece, I did a lot of olympiad competitions. They went pretty well; in 2023, I placed 1st in the Greek National Physics competition, and in both 2022 and 2023, I placed 1st in the Greek National Mathematics competition! I still love math, and I’m currently participating in the ME Math Championship, a competition in schools in the United Arab Emirates. At my new school, I’m currently in the Physics Society, and I’ve been looking for more opportunities to get involved in. I recently joined TKS, an organization that helps students explore emerging technologies. I’ve been exploring a lot of interesting fields and have started working on a project to create a simulation of the brain, which I’ve been very excited about!

What do you enjoy doing outside of school?

I love volleyball and Taekwondo. I play volleyball with my school team, and our coaches are amazing. For Taekwondo, I train three times a week on a team that competes at national and international levels, which is really exciting. While I enjoy both sports, if I have a day off, I’m more likely to spend it reading. Recently, I finished Animal Farm in a day during our spring break! Besides reading, I enjoy crocheting—I’ve been working on some new designs that I’m really proud of. I also love listening to music, especially BTS and Greek classical songs. I grew up listening to Greek classical songs on the radio, and they remind me of my childhood. And, of course, I love spending time with my family.

Summer Experience

What was your favorite part of the fellowship?

Honestly, I loved every part of it! Everything tied together really well and was super relevant to my high school career. I loved the talks, I loved the mentors—they were so inspiring, each and every one of them. The fellowship opened my eyes to so many new opportunities, and it made my high school journey feel more creative. I realized high school is not just about grades; it’s about discovering yourself and working on projects you’re passionate about, and that is something that I didn’t know or think of before.

I also really enjoyed the coffee chats. I met some amazing people, and I still keep in touch with some of them. The deliverables were fantastic too, and they helped me practice applying the skills I learned during the Fireside Chats. For example, for the first deliverable, we had to come up with ideas for projects to work on. Throughout the process, I realized that generating ideas doesn’t come easily to me, so I set a goal to think of two or three new ideas each day and keep a list on my notes app.

Overall, the fellowship was an eye-opening experience and just incredible. The fellowship was one of the first structured programs I’ve participated in, and it’s prepared me extremely well for everything to come. I even got exposed to a lot of technology platforms, like Slack, that I’ve found really helpful even after the fellowship. The entire fellowship was thoughtfully designed from start to finish. It was amazing.

Could you tell us about some of the ideas you’ve come up with?

Yes! Through Isabella’s Fireside Chat and deliverable on turning ideas into reality, I was inspired to write a book about helping girls be more self-confident. I’m still jotting down ideas and working on the book, but I have a lot going on right now. I’m hoping to implement different techniques and strategies into my own life this year, so I can write about my experiences in the book and how they actually worked in practice.

What were some of the most valuable lessons you learned?

A lot of the advice I received was really impactful. I saw changes in myself after the program— I think the biggest change was that I became more active in my learning and education. Before, I would often find myself thinking, “I don’t have to do that. It’s too much work.” Now, I have a much more active mindset. I’m much more open to new ideas and trying new things, and I’m always trying to find new opportunities for myself.

Also, the fellowship taught me the importance of curiosity and asking questions. I’ve started analyzing and questioning what I’m learning, instead of just accepting information. If I don’t understand something, I’ll look it up right away and dive deeper. That shift—from being passive to actively taking control of my learning—really began with the fellowship. Now, I feel more engaged with my education and my life choices, and I’m proactively rethinking and refining my decisions.

Also, over the past few months, I’ve found myself ideating and thinking about problems in my community, and asking myself, “How can I improve this?” This was a powerful takeaway from the fellowship; my approach is a lot more proactive now and I seek out ways to help make impact on my community.

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

First of all, enjoy every moment. The mentors are incredible—each one brings something unique to the experience, so make the most of it. And remember, this is just the beginning. After the fellowship, go out and seek opportunities or even create your own. You will have learned everything you need—the skills, the mindset—to shape your future. Just take initiative.

This might sound a bit off-topic, but I think of finding opportunities like volleyball. In the sport, you can’t stay stagnant and wait for balls to come to you. You need to actively move and seek out the next opportunity, and be in the position to make the most of the shot. So, my advice is this: opportunities will come, but they’re much more likely to find you if you go looking. Don’t wait—get out there and search!

Future Aspirations

What are your short-term goals and your longer-term career aspirations?

I have a lot of specific short-term goals I’m actively working towards. This year, I’m hoping to connect with professors from top universities who are working on neuroscience, particularly those who have used optogenetics in their research. I also want to work on a project that I’m genuinely proud of, like creating a brain simulation, analyzing it, and writing a paper that combines my findings with insights from other researchers. My aim is to build a strong portfolio that will attract future opportunities—not every 14-year-old is doing that! Expanding my network is also key for me, whether that’s connecting with peers, mentors, or professors. And of course, I want to excel academically. It’s not always easy, but I’m determined to give my best.

In the longer-term, broadly, my goal is to get into a top university like Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Cambridge, or Oxford and study something related to biology or neuroscience. Maybe I’ll become a researcher—I’m not completely sure yet. For now, my focus in high school is to pursue as many opportunities as I can: create them, explore new areas, get internships, and join programs. I just want to stay curious and actively seek experiences.

How did the fellowship influence your career aspirations?

The fellowship really got me thinking more deeply about my career. Before, my main focus was simply getting into a top university. But then I started to wonder, what comes after that? The fellowship opened my eyes to a broad range of possibilities. I realized I could be an engineering manager, or working in coding, developing games or managing a product team at a company like Spotify. I learned about so many roles I never heard of or considered before. Overall, the fellowship broadened my perspective on what’s possible and helped me consider how my interests align with potential careers. It also gave me insight into what it’s like to actually pursue certain careers, like the journey to medical school and becoming a doctor.

What have you been up to after the fellowship? Are there any new projects you’re working on that you’re excited about?

After the program, I became fascinated with optogenetics and even wrote an article about its use in treating retinitis pigmentosa, a currently incurable form of blindness. From there, my interest grew into exploring a specific brain region that controls social behavior. In both people with autism and mice that have been gene-edited to exhibit autism-like traits, this area undergoes significant changes in structure and function. I discovered a study where scientists used light to activate this brain region in mice, effectively improving their social behaviors. Inspired by this, I’m now working on a project to create a brain simulation that models how the human brain might respond to genetic treatments. To make this happen, I’m learning Python, which has been challenging but incredibly rewarding. I’m excited to keep pushing forward and see where this project leads!