Hello! My name is Mikaela, but you can call me Kiki. I am a senior at the Polytechnic School in Pasadena and have recently been admitted to UC Davis as a double major in Classical Music and Global Disease Biology. I plan to study disease and its relationship to the health of people, animals, plants, and the environment in a global context.
My passion for music has led me on an extraordinary journey. Three years ago, I was selected as one of four inaugural students for LA Opera's Russell...
Hello! My name is Mikaela, but you can call me Kiki. I am a senior at the Polytechnic School in Pasadena and have recently been admitted to UC Davis as a double major in Classical Music and Global Disease Biology. I plan to study disease and its relationship to the health of people, animals, plants, and the environment in a global context.
My passion for music has led me on an extraordinary journey. Three years ago, I was selected as one of four inaugural students for LA Opera's Russell Thomas Youth Artist Training Academy. This program, led by LA Opera's Artist-in-Residence Tenor Russell Thomas, aims to develop the next generation of professional classical singers. It includes 6 hours of weekly vocal training, movement workshops, masterclasses, and performance opportunities. My training includes IPA and music theory, and I translate and reinterpret songs from their original language and composition.
Outside of music, I have taken several high-level biology classes, including PE Biological Research (the highest-level biology course at my school) and Neuroscience and Humanities: Food. Both courses are research-focused. With Dr. Francis Wells of Cambridge, I am researching a New Orleans Military Hospital medical case file from 1793. This research is part of my independent study project, "Sarsaparilla, Chicken Soup, and Malaga Wine: A Case Report on a Cure for Scurvy, Rheumatic, and Venereal Diseases."
I have participated in two specialized summer programs for aspiring medical students: UC Irvine's SHE (Summer Healthcare Experience) program and UCLA's Pre-Med Summer Scholars.
I am fluent in Spanish, scoring a 5 on my AP Spanish Language exam. I have tutored middle school children in Spanish and English writing (scoring a 5 on my AP English test). Additionally, I tutored two Ukrainian students in English during the war in Ukraine.
I hope to bring my diverse background in music, science, and language to help students excel in their academic and personal endeavors.
