ADC

Off to Princeton! Meet Esther Atolaiye, an aspiring neurosurgeon, who describes herself as the embodiment of her ancestor’s wildest dreams with an unrelenting spirit to change the world through neurological innovations in STEM and the inspiring of young minorities. Born in Silver Spring, Maryland, and raised in a small town called Burtonsville, Esther has continually exhibited a drive to succeed in everything she sets her mind to. She’s extremely proud of their ethnic Nigerian heritage, and advocacy and STEM serve as the foundation of who Esther is as an individual, with this being shown in numerous ways.

Within her high school, Esther is an avid learner in the Paint Branch Academy of Health Professions, where she’s already taken the two foundational courses (Foundations of Health Sciences and Structures & Functions of the Human Body). This year, she’s currently in her third course of the medical program where she has the wonderful opportunity in second semester to participate in an on-site hospital internship at Holy Cross and will receive her Maryland Certified Nursing Assistant License in the spring of 2026. A part from this, Esther is also working towards her goal of becoming a neurosurgeon by challenging herself in rigorous Advanced Placement science courses in her high school, including AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics. Additionally, to highlight some more of the academic adventures Esther has embarked on (excluding the courses mentioned before), she has also taken AP U.S. Government and Politics, AP World History: Modern, AP Calculus BC, and AP English Language and Composition, and is currently taking AP English Literature and Composition, AP Psychology, and AP Statistics. For all the APs Esther has taken so far, she’s scored all 5s on the exams. Her intellectual prowess also extends to other standardized tests, such as the SAT, where she scored an astonishing 1510.

Outside the scope of schoolwork, Esther still remains heavily involved in the Paint Branch community. For one, she currently serves as the schoolwide Student Government Association (SGA) President, advocating on behalf of a student body of over 2,000. In her junior year, she served as the schoolwide SGA Secretary where she implemented an initiative of providing over 100+ pages of digital notes to her fellow high school students to aid them in their academic pursuits. To continue, Esther is a part of the leadership team for her school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes, where she assists in planning and facilitating weekly meetings in which over 30+ student athletes attend to learn how to connect sports to their faith, and she also embarked on a service trip to Malaysia, providing sports clinics to refugees. (Speaking of sports, Esther has also played on her school’s Varsity Cross Country Team and Girls’ Basketball Team) Esther has also occupied leadership roles in Paint Branch’s Black and African Student Union (where she is a Co-Founder and Co-President) and multiple honor societies, including the Social Studies Honor Society (serving as Vice President) and National Art Honor Society (serving as the Social Media Coordinator).

Esther’s work also extends into her school county through her involvement in several community-based organizations. Currently, she’s one of two Administrators for the Montgomery County Public Schools Special Elections Committee (SEC), where Esther oversees and directs the countywide student organization that facilitates the elections for the MCPS Student Member of the Board of Education and Montgomery County Regional Officers. Esther finds great joy and purpose in this role as she believes the SEC provides a blueprint for how over 88,000 MCPS secondary students will vote in future congressional and presidential elections. Besides this, Esther also serves as Communications Director of MoCo EmpowHER, a countywide women’s and non-binary individuals’ empowerment organization where she manages the emailing system and has facilitated self defense workshops and cultural celebrations; and she’s also the Public Relations Director of Eco MoCo, a youth-led environmental organization where she directs a team of about 20 members to create digital art relating to environmental sustainability. Esther also engages in volunteer work, having served three consecutive summers (2021-2023) at Forcey Day Camp, first as a Counselor-in-Training and then as a Buddy Counselor. Working 40 hours a week over these three summers, she ensured proper child care and assisted the “Friday Fun” Team in planning exciting games and activities for the adolescent campers on Fridays. Yet, apart from all of these activities, one of the extracurricular areas that Esther excels the most in is in those that are heavily STEM-based.

The summer after her sophomore year of high school, Esther stepped into action pursuing major STEM projects by serving as a summer intern in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Oncology Center of Excellence. Here, she dedicated herself to learning daily about the different biological processes playing a role in cancer development and visited a variety of medical sites and pharmaceutical companies (e.g. AstraZeneca, the National Institutes of Health, etc.). Through this internship, Esther also lobbied to staffers (Staffer Abigail Ashcraft for Congressman Michael McCaul (TX) and Staffer Andrew Murray for Senator Todd Young (IN)) of U.S. Congress members on Capitol Hill, encouraging them to advocate more strongly for bills improving cancer patient care. She also culminated this summer experience by working with a team of two to craft a presentation on demographic disparities in pediatric leukemia; her team was one of just three voted on by her peers to be selected for subsequent presentation at the FDA clinical trials! In addition to this internship, Esther has also participated in the Columbia IYRC Medicine and Research Program where she learned about different chronic medical diseases weekly from medical students studying at Columbia University, Stanford University, and other T20 educational institutions. For her final project, Esther composed a health narrative on her battle with overcoming depression, and this paper was not only selected for presentation at the International Youth Researcher’s Global Conference in January 2025, but also selected for publication in the internationally recognized International Youth Researchers’ Conference Journal.

Another highlight of Esther’s STEM journey includes being accepted into MITES Semester, the MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science Semester Program, which is not only associated with the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but moreover exposes traditionally marginalized groups to the wonders of science. Here, Esther conducted a hands-on research project in which she worked with planarian worms and explored how the regeneration of planarians is impacted by prolonged exposure to red light and varying pH levels of solution. For MITES, she also conducted interviews with scientific researchers from top institutions such as Boston University and composed her own scientific article on racial disparities in pediatric neuroblastoma. This most recent summer (2025), Esther also received some lab experience in University of Maryland’s Fischell Department of Bioengineering; here, Esther worked under the assistance of UMD PhD student Mrs. Lexi Christensen, producing 3D prints and also analyzing different cell types used for projects on how to treat histopathology issues pertaining to female mastectomies.

A part from the large load of extracurriculars Esther partakes in, she loves to spend her free time hanging out with friends, reading fictional stories, and writing stories and essays herself (she even won an award from this in the Harvard Alumni GlobalWE IYRC Essay Competition 2024). Looking at the road ahead, Esther hopes to major in neuroscience/biochemistry in university and hopes to continue using her voice and spirit to continually advocate on the behalf of others.

Off to Boston College! Meet Ruth Bayou (ADC 2026), an Ethiopian-born student raised in the United States who embraces her cultural heritage while forging her path as a scholar, leader, and advocate. Ruth holds herself to the highest academic standards, maintaining a 4.77 weighted GPA and a 3.93 unweighted GPA while pursuing one of the most rigorous course loads available. By the time she graduates, she will have completed 11 Advanced Placement courses, including advanced STEM classes such as AP Biology and AP Chemistry, as well as rigorous humanities courses like AP U.S. History. She has consistently earned Honor Roll recognition and is a proud member of both the National Honor Society and the Science National Honor Society.
Beyond the classroom, Ruth is deeply committed to service and leadership. She has completed more than 300 hours of community service, supporting patients in hospitals, assisting seniors through Alzheimer’s awareness initiatives, and volunteering at local food banks and libraries. Inspired by her passion for medicine and healthcare equity, Ruth founded and now serves as President of March for Medicine (MFM), a club dedicated to raising awareness about the underrepresentation of minorities in medicine. Under her leadership, the club has raised over $500, assembled care packages, and hosted guest speakers to encourage students of all backgrounds to become advocates in healthcare. MFM’s mission reflects Ruth’s broader commitment to uplifting marginalized voices and building inclusive communities.
Ruth’s leadership extends across her school community. She is President of the Ethiopian Eritrean Student Association (EESA), Co-Chair of the Minority Scholars Program (MSP), Conference Coordinator for Model United Nations, and Co-President of LLS (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) at Wootton. She also serves on the Student Government Association (SGA), is an officer for Pop for a Cause, and remains an active member of NHS, SNHS, EHS, and MHS. Through MSP, Ruth has co-organized protests and rallies addressing racism, including one she helped lead that united students and faculty in a powerful call for racial equity and accountability.
Her advocacy is also deeply personal. After her grandfather’s misdiagnosis in Ethiopia, Ruth developed a strong interest in medicine and neuroscience. Witnessing the consequences of limited healthcare resources on her family fueled her determination to pursue a career as a neurosurgeon and confront inequities in medical systems worldwide. She has strengthened this passion through both a DNA research internship and a physical therapy internship, where she combined scientific exploration with patient-centered care. These experiences have reinforced her drive to merge research, medicine, and advocacy in her future career.
Ruth’s impact and dedication have been widely recognized. She is a State Champion in DECA, has earned the Presidential Service Award for her extensive commitment to volunteerism, and has been honored in Model UN as a two-time Outstanding Delegate and gavel winner.
For Ruth, education is more than academic achievement—it is a platform to inspire change. She has championed diversity, equity, and inclusion by designing lesson plans that challenge stereotypes, speaking at community events, and mentoring younger students. She embraces her Ethiopian heritage and American upbringing as sources of strength, using her unique perspective to advocate for equity in both education and healthcare.
In addition to her academic and leadership achievements, Ruth enjoys traveling, reading, and engaging with her cultural community. She values meaningful connections and believes in the power of storytelling, advocacy, and service to create lasting change.
With her outstanding academic record, proven leadership, and unwavering passion for healthcare equity, Ruth Bayou exemplifies the qualities of a scholar-advocate. Whether through medicine, research, or public service, she is determined to use her voice and efforts to create a more equitable and compassionate world.