Kara Lee’s motto is “never limit yourself.” Eager to face challenges, Kara takes advantage of every opportunity to expand her horizons. She selected the most rigorous courses offered at Uniondale High School and spent her summers taking advanced math and science classes at the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth and the MITE2S program at MIT. Kara’s academic achievements have earned her recognition as Salutatorian of her graduating class, National Achievement Scholar, National Merit Finalist, Kodak Young Leader, AP Scholar, and National Ventures Scholar. She received the Rensselaer Math and Science Medal, and the International Foreign Language Award, and was a finalist in the 2000 Alicia Patterson High Honors Scholarship Competition sponsored by Newsday.
Her teachers and peers often wonder, “Is there ANYTHING Kara does not do extraordinarily well?” For her leadership in extracurricular and community service activities, Kara earned Uniondale’s School Spirit Award and Major Service Award. She was a trained peer mediator and worked as a counselor at the Youth Project Center. She served as President of the Science Honor Society, National Honor Society, and Mathletes, Vice President of Key Club, Treasurer of her class, captain and choreographer of the cheerleading squad. Kara is also an accomplished violinist and Concertmistress of three orchestras. Last year, she performed with the All-State Symphony Orchestra in Rochester, New York and the All-Eastern Honors Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. In her spare time, she teaches violin and viola to young children.
With her firm belief that ” a community needs the support and cooperation of its members in order to thrive,” Kara has been working to establish a tutorial program for students who fall below state standards in reading and math. In her junior year she organized a fundraiser that enabled a sixth-grader to attend a summer science camp at a local college. The goal was to spark interest in science and technology in elementary students as well as to give someone less fortunate the opportunity to participate in a challenging summer program.
While her teachers, family and peers wonder at her intellectual curiosity, creativity, and musical ability, Kara prefers to focus on her faith in God, her compassion for others, and her commitment to community service. All of these traits will most likely inform Kara’s future endeavors, such as her dream of founding a music school that will raise minority children’s intelligence and problem solving ability through music instruction. Before beginning her studies at Harvard, Kara participated in its Freshman Urban Program, a community service program.
Kara graduated from Harvard in 2004 with an bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering.
