Our Leadership Team
MAYUKHA VADARI - FOUNDER & CEO
Mayukha has been into math since the fourth grade, when she joined her school's math club. She got off to a good start, winning 8th place at the Math is Cool state competition only a few months after she started. For the next few years, she continued to take part in math competitions, including in national competitions like ARML and NSF Nationals. She has won several awards at the regional, state, and national levels. Then, in 8th grade, Mayukha enrolled in Seattle Science Infinity Club. At first, she did not like science very much, but soon began to love it. She and her team excelled, getting second place in Science Bowl at the regional level, only losing once to the first place team, who also happened to be from the Seattle Science Infinity Club. She also went to Nationals for the North South Foundation's Science and Math Bees and won awards there as well. By this time, she realized a trend that girls were losing interest in math and science. She noticed this trend through direct experience with her classmates and friends, as well as observing at competitions (e.g. she was the only girl in the top ten at the 2012 NSF MathBee Nationals). In order to combat this drop in interest, she decided to form Girls Rock in Science and Math to increase interest for girls in these two subjects and make them enthusiastic participants in all areas of both academia and extracurriculars.
Ilinca Hamza - GRISM President
Ilinca Hamza is currently a senior at Eastlake High School. She began her journey with GRISM in fourth grade and has since also participated in GEMS and GRASS. After starting high school, she became an instructor for GRISM in the hope to help more girls become passion in STEM fields. She is passionate about marine biology, microbiology, and teaching and is an avid volleyball player.
nikhita penugonda - grass director
Nikhita Penugonda is currently a senior at Interlake High School. She has been involved in the GRISM program since 3rd grade. After graduating from GRASS, the middle school program, Nikhita decided to become a volunteer to excite girls about STEM in the same way she was inspired while participating in GRISM. She is now very excited to be the director of GRASS to engage and enthuse younger girls about STEM topics. Although she loves learning about everything STEM-related, Nikhita is particularly passionate about math, astronomy, and physics! She was selected as one of sixteen inaugural flight crew members by Million Girls Moonshot to amplify youth voices in the national conversation around STEM equity. Nikhita loves thinking outside of the box! She has participated in Destination Imagination for seven years and won first place in the Digital Open 2022. Nikhita has also been a Girl Scout since kindergarten. She has many hobbies and enjoys camping, hiking, rowing, stargazing, reading, and playing video games! In the future, Nikhita aims to study astrophysics and computer science in order to make new discoveries about the cosmos.
Kaitlyn Tsiu - GRISM vice president of media
Kaitlyn Tsiu is a senior at Skyline High School. She started GRISM through GEMS, but decided to become an instructor because of her love for everything STEM. Kaitlyn is passionate about advocating girls towards STEM and she is most interested in biology and sports medicine, hoping to pursue a career in nursing. Outside of GRISM, Kaitlyn loves hanging out with people and is a student leader at her church where she helps play piano and sing for worship. At school, she takes part in swim teams, DECA and HOSA.
Minal Gowda - Manager of Expansions and Communications
Minal Gowda is a current junior at Lincoln (Seattle) High School. She started off with GRISM as an instructor and joined because of her love for science and advocacy for women in STEM. Minal enjoys dancing, playing the piano, reading, playing volleyball, and spending time with family and friends. At school she is a part of HOSA, Women in Business, and Debate club. She enjoys chemistry and biology, and hopes to pursue a career in the medical field.
Alina Teodorescu - Instructor Manager
Alina is a senior at Eastlake High School who is planning to go into the medical field. She loves all kinds of STEM from Calculus to Anatomy, and has been apart of GRISM/GRASS for over eight years as she joined as a student originally! Alina also enjoys hobbies such as dancing and gymnastics which she has been doing for her whole life. She has volunteered her time with this organization to help young girls find their passion in learning.
Maya Krishnan - Media Assistant
Maya Krishnan is a senior at Skyline High School. Her enthusiasm for education has been dedicated to teaching students and choreographing various songs in Bollywood dances every Sunday at BollySteps. Maya participated in the GRISM program, and is returning as an instructor because her experience left a lasting impact on her profound interest in STEM. Her favorite subject is biology and she inspires to foster an environment where every young girl can explore the fields of science and math! She believes GRISM is the perfect place to do just that!
Our Instructors
Ria Iyer
Ria is a senior at Redmond High School.
chahek gupta
Chahek is a senior at Redmond High School. She has always really enjoyed math and science since she was really young, and this inspired her to further her knowledge and start participating in various math and science competitions. She particularly enjoys the subjects of anatomy, biology, and astronomy. She joined GRISM because she truly believes in its mission to spark an interest for math and science in young girls in all the different fields of STEM. Outside of school and GRISM, Chahek like to play the violin, draw, dance, and read.
ramya suresh
Ramya Suresh is a senior at Redmond High School. She is interested in biology, math, and economics. The STEM subjects aside, her hobbies include reading, writing, and playing the viola. Ramya has participated in Math is Cool, Science Olympiad, IMDO, and NSB, and plans on competing in many other competitions to come. She has spent countless hours studying molecular biology, human physiology, and diseases, all of which deepened her love for the subject. Ramya hopes to pursue the field of medicine and become a cardiologist or hematologist so she can have a positive impact on others' lives. Although she has more than a decade to go before that becomes a reality, teaching at GRISM can help both her and others follow the STEM pathway.
LAYLA ALDERETE
Layla is a junior at Redmond High School. She was a member of GRISM in elementary school, and later a member of GRASS. She is very excited to return for a third year as an instructor! Outside of GRISM Layla interns at the El Centro Cultural Mexicano maker space. In her free time Layla participates in multiple school clubs and enjoys running, math, and art.
Ava ALDERETE
Ava is a sophomore at Redmond High School. She was a member of GRISM for several years in elementary school and is very excited about being an instructor this year. Her favorite school subjects are English and Math. She especially enjoys logic puzzles! Her hobbies include traveling and competing with her club soccer team, playing cello in the school orchestra, volunteering in the community and spending time with her friends.
ISHA METHA
Isha Mehta is currently a freshman at Interlake High School. She has been passionate about math and coding since elementary school, and has participated in multiple math and coding competitions throughout that time. She was inspired to work at GRISM because of her love of computer science and math, as well as her love for working with younger kids. Isha hopes to pursue the field of computer science, and hopes one day to have her own start-up (and become a billionaire). She also enjoys playing and coaching badminton, watching TV, and playing with her dog!
TANVI Varangaonkar
Tanvi is currently a sophomore at Lake Washington High School. She started GRISM in third grade and did GRASS throughout middle school. Being a part of the GRISM community grew her passion for STEM as a kid, and this year, she's so excited to return as an instructor! Her experience in GRISM especially sparked an interest for her in math: she's a part of the math club at her school and competes in competitions such as the AMC and ARML. Outside of school, Tanvi enjoys dancing and photography.
Sahana Sarangi
Sahana Sarangi is a student attending Transition School at the Robinson Center for Young Scholars at the University of Washington. She joined the GRISM community by participating in GEMS in third grade, and has since been in love with math and science. Her passion for programming, mathematics, and closing the gender gap in those fields is what inspired her to join the GRISM team to educate and empower young women with a love for STEM. Outside, Sahana is an international classical Indian dancer, volunteers on other youth cultural boards, and is a math problem solving enthusiast. She is excited to be a part of GRISM this year!
Yenni Wong
Yenni Wong is a senior at Nathan Hale High School. She grew up loving math and science and has continued to grow her knowledge in STEM subjects. She joined GRISM because she’s motivated to help younger girls find an interest in STEM and give them a chance to learn and pursue it. Yenni is particularly interested in astronomy and computer science and hopes to find a career in STEM after high school. Outside of academics, she loves to draw, go hiking, and play the clarinet and saxophone.
Nishka Hedge
Nishka Hegde is a freshman at Issaquah High School. She’s been involved with GRISM since third grade, and thrilled to come full circle by inspiring elementary school girls through science. Some of her favorite hobbies include listening to music, paddleboarding, and reading. Nishka’s passion for science motivated her to join GRISM as an instructor, allowing her to share her enthusiasm for STEM with young learners. Beyond GRISM, Nishka is also active in robotics and runs her own cupcake business.
Navya Jain
Navya Jain is a student at the Transition School at the Robinson Center For Young Scholars. She started GRISM when she was in third grade, and went through GRASS before ending up here as an volunteer! She wants to help out others the way the GRISM program did with her, adding to her passion with STEM and showing her girls can do it too! Navya is passionate about math and biology and has participated in Math Is Cool, Math Kangaroo, Science Olympiad (Anatomy and Physiology being her main topic), AMC8, AMC10 and much more! In her free time, she loves to read, hike, research random facts, and do math!
Maya Bacioiu
Maya is a freshman at Lake Washington Highschool with a passion for STEM – especially biology, astronomy, forensics, and math. As a GRASS instructor, she wants to share her passion with younger kids and help grow GRISM, an organization that nurtured her love for everything science. She also credits her knack for learning to her participation in LWSD Quest, Stanford G&T (Redbird), Noetic Challenge Math, FIRST Robotics, NorthStar Choice school, and a few other great programs. She is a black belt in Mixed Martial Arts and an instructor. Her other interests include Key club volunteering, DECA, basketball and music. A Taylor swift fan, she also has a solid appreciation of rock classics.