EXPERTISE: HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, CURRENT EVENTS

Greetings! I’m a senior at Darien High School. Quiz bowl has been a big part of my life since middle school—it’s how I’ve grown as a learner, teammate, and leader. It’s also where I first experienced the kind of collaboration and community that make learning truly meaningful.

I grew up in Stamford, CT, and early on, I noticed that there weren’t many enrichment opportunities outside the classroom. When I moved to Darien in upper elementary school, I stumbled into quiz bowl—and it completely changed how I thought about school. Suddenly, learning felt exciting, challenging, and social. During COVID, when everything went virtual, quiz bowl became even more important—it gave me something to look forward to and a way to stay connected.

In my freshman year, I started laying the groundwork for SparkEdVenture. I reached out to local schools, hoping to build partnerships where high schoolers could mentor younger students and bring quiz bowl to places that hadn’t had access before. By the fall of my sophomore year, with a team of friends and fellow quiz bowl players, we officially launched the program.

SparkEdVenture is about more than just quiz bowl—it’s about creating spaces where students feel supported, inspired, and excited to learn. We started in Stamford, the district where I began my own education, which made it especially meaningful. But our goal is to keep growing and reach even more schools that don’t have these kinds of opportunities yet. To help make that possible, I started writing a blog—full of learning resources, quiz bowl content, and deep dives into academic topics—to connect with students and families who might not be able to join us in person but still want to be part of the SparkEdVenture community.

Outside of quiz bowl, I’m probably listening to hip-hop, playing baseball with friends, or talking sports. Whether you’re a parent looking for something engaging or a middle schooler who’s curious to try something new, I’d love to welcome you to SparkEdVenture. Learning doesn’t have to stop when the school day ends—and it definitely doesn’t have to be boring.