The proof is in the progress.

Matthew started his Curious Cardinals journey as an uninspired 10th grader on a Passion Project track. Over the course of 2 years, he created his own video game (Multiverse Mercenaries), learning everything from coding to character design, marketing, and music production with the help of his CC mentors. He’s now a confident freshman studying Computer Science and Game Design at U of Michigan, and in his own words, “It wouldn’t have been possible without Curious Cardinals.”

Elise began with Curious Cardinals as a shy 8th grader leveling up her Spanish and essay-writing skills on an Academic Mentorship track. With her mentor’s help, Elise discovered her passion for feminism and developed her Passion Project, Maud the Blog, telling the stories of inspiring women in fashion. Elise also worked with an inspiring female math mentor and a marketing/design mentor. Starting her first year at Cornell soon, Elise is now a determined, self-assured leader and feminist fashion icon in the making.

Raia began working with a Curious Cardinals mentor when she was just 8 years old, focusing on foundational math skills. When Raia’s mom noticed she was struggling to focus and connect math concepts to the real world, she began working with a mentor she could truly see herself in -- Keza, who is also Black and Jewish. Under Keza’s wing, Raia has grown into a truly confident problem solver, tackling Russian math and geometry with tenacity. For the first time, Raia says “Math can be fun,” and concepts are clicking.

Scarlett joined CC as a busy Junior with a ton of seemingly disjointed interests, seeking a project that would combine all her passions and help her stand out from peers and siblings. Scarlett’s mentor helped her found Under the Same Sky, a global community which connects people from all around the world via shared experiences and topics (like mental health) called “constellations”.