Financial Aid

Message From Audrey

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to our generous donors for making our Summer Financial Aid (SFA) program possible. Through your support and our partnerships with Yes Scholars and College Match, we've supported nearly a thousand low-income students in pursuing their academic passions.
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The heart of our program lies in meaningful mentorship connections. Each student is carefully matched with a near-peer mentor who shares their interests, background, or lived experiences. This intentional matching, combined with our project-based learning pedagogy, creates transformative educational experiences. The resulting impact is undoubtedly dual: college students find meaningful employment with fair compensation, and students receive indelible mentorship that culminates in life-changing real-world projects.

Our students tackle complex, real-world topics such as sustainability, cancer research, mental health advocacy, and community development. These ambitious scholars don’t just participate—they push boundaries, challenge conventional thinking, and develop sophisticated projects that address pressing global challenges.

Your support makes a lasting impact far beyond the six-week program. It helps us build a community where:

Potential meets opportunity

Young scholars see their potential reflected in mentors who've walked similar paths, breaking down barriers to achievement

Transformative educational experiences are accessible to all, regardless of financial barriers.

Representation and accessibility have been core values of Curious Cardinals since our founding. This program brings those values to life—demonstrating what’s possible when talented students are given the chance to explore, dream, and grow.

Thank you for believing in the power of near-peer mentorship and ensuring that deserving students — no matter their socioeconomic background — can access opportunities that shape their futures. Because of you, Curious Cardinals mentorship has transformed the lives of hundreds of students, and with your continued support, we will transform the lives of hundreds more.

With gratitude and curiousity,
Audrey

Curious Cardinals CEO and Co-Founder

Success Stories

Stephany is a shy, artsy student who wanted to find connection in a similarly introverted female writing mentor who could help her get better at public speaking and writing. She was deeply inspired by mythology, and embarked on a project to retell well-known myths in modern way, while learning both mythology and storytelling as an art form.

Stephany

Marlon, (page 7), was accepted to his first-choice college, Stanford University. His mentor Julia’s advice to ‘stay low and close’ has become a
life motto for him, giving him the confidence to approach everything -- from college admissions to art -- with a new perspective.

Marlon P.

Marlon credits his Curious Cardinals mentor, Julia N., with
teaching him how to improve his photography, as well as
stepping out of his comfort zone.

“After witnessing and living through the evolution of my neighborhood changing through gentrification, I was inspired to create this project to visually express the impact of the rising gentrification in Cudahy through a photo essay,” Marlon says.

Marlon P.

Hillary was keen to connect with a female mentor she could dive deep into the craft of poetry and English writing with, while working on her time management skills. She was inspired by the way poetry can be used as a vehicle for self-expression and an inspiration for other forms of media. With the help of her mentor Hillary learned the technical and emotional aspects of poetry, then composed her own spoken word poem.

Hillary S.

Mai is a fashion lover who wanted to focus her project
on the often overlooked economic aspects of the fast
fashion industry. She theorized that changing
consumer behavior alone is not enough; there must be
fiscally-motivated (profitable) solutions.

Mai dove deep into the fashion industry with her mentor, fashion designer Phoebe D., exploring the problems that led to the current fast fashion crisis and potential solutions.

Mal

Kelsy is a self-starter, a beginner animator who dreams of
becoming a storyboard artist and professional animator
after high school. She sought to form a long-term connection with an inspiring mentor from a similar background who could help her learn more about the intricacies of animation, the industry, and how to network within it. Together, they explored the history of the industry and refined Kelsy’s own work and processes.

Kelsy J.

Alan created an AI math tutor, Mathbot, with his mentor Armaan. After the summer, his Mathbot project won the 2023 Congressional App Challenge for California’s 44th District, he graduated high school as valedictorian, and was accepted into over a dozen prestigious universities.

Alan is now an HSF Scholar in his freshman year at Yale, studying Computing & Linguistics. Alan works off-campus as an EMT and on campus as a Data Analyst at Yale’s Child Study Center.

Alan C.

Magaly thanks Curious Cardinals for “An unforgettable experience,” through which she was able to “study
something [I am] passionate about” and learn to build a website, all while making a “meaningful connection” with
her mentor, Ava D.

Magaly was inspired to create Flourish, a resource intended to make skincare accessible to all.

Magaly G.

Idania became curious about cosmetic chemistry and what happens to the skin on a molecular level when different products are applied, after seeing her mom’s experience with new skincare products. She worked with her mentor, Lexy, to create Glowology, a platform meant to reduce confusion around choosing the right skincare products and make beginning one’s skincare journey easier. Idania plans to become a dermatologist.

Idania D.

When Irene saw her friends struggling with Endometriosis
pain, she was shocked to learn how under-discussed and
under-researched Endometriosis is. A true empath and
problem-solver, Irene set out to write a research paper on
Endometriosis that could bring awareness to the condition as well as pave the way for future potential research.

Irene H.

Seeing that only 5-6% of plastic actually gets recycled, Arty and her mentor programmed an AI imaging model that can detect different types of trash, for easier sorting and recycling. Arty’s finished model was able to identify trash items with impressive accuracy and consistency.

Arty’s Curious Cardinals experience allowed her to improve her knowledge of Python and create a project she truly feels proud of.

Arty B.

Jazmin is a creative student who sought a mentor that could help her develop skills in the areas of research, data collection, and writing. She was inspired to combine her interest in psychology/mental health with her passion for art into a project about art therapy.

With the encouragement of her mentor, Jazmin interviewed two licensed art therapists in her area and created an art therapy project of her own.

Jazmin P.

Elisha is an ambitious, self-professed “STEM-girl” who
came into the summer with clear goals to learn from a cool STEM female mentor and improve her writing/research skills in a genetics/molecular biology-focused project. Elisha witnessed first-hand the damage social isolation caused herself and her peers during quarantine. In her own words, “Through Curious Cardinals, I want to be able to dive into this topic even deeper.

Elisha K.

Jay created an AI model that can detect and correctly
identify spinal conditions. He was inspired by a strong
passion for the orthopedic field and a desire to revolutionize the medical sector. He believes tech like his SpineGuard model can improve diagnostic accuracy and patient experience.

Jay’s model was able to accurately identify and predict 4 types of spinal disorders (cervical fracture, scoliosis, and spondylolisthesis) with >95% accuracy.

Jay U.

Alan struggled in Calculus and noticed his classmates struggling, too. “We couldn’t even help each other,” Alan shared, due to not having a firm grasp on the subject matter or adequate support around them. So, he decided to create a solution, and the idea for his AI math tutor was born.

Alan created the AI math tutor utilizing 5 different coding languages. Alan states that, “The AI math project I created was definitely my best work.

Alan

Joel was inspired by works like Kyiv, 2022 to combine his
passion for social justice with his love of music. With the help of his mentor, he gained a better understanding of music theory and composition while composing his own piece.

Joel’s original piece, Frankenstein: The Modern Consequence is a riveting musical commentary on scientific responsibility and ethics.

Joel P.

When Darlene’s brother was born during the Covid-19
pandemic, she became curious about the impact of
environment and maternal health on developing feti, as well as the long-term outcomes for children.

Drawing on Darlene’s strong public speaking and presenting skills, and with a goal to hone her research skills, Darlene and her mentor (Isabella T.) created a Spanish-language presentation on the topic to share with her community.

Darlene P.

Jennifer wanted to investigate the racial and socioeconomic disparities surrounding pediatric TBI (Traumatic Brain Injuries). She understands that brain injuries sustained during childhood can cause issues later on that are misunderstood (or even made fun of) by people in the child’s life. She wanted to address all of these issues in a research paper in the hopes of educating her community regarding the seriousness of pediatric brain injuries and possible treatment options.

Jennifer J.

Keiry is a passionate philanthropist interested in sustainability and other issues affecting her small, low- income, Hispanic community. With the help of her mentor, Keiry created an environmental advocacy club, which organizes and promotes advocacy events like park and beach clean ups, clothing drives, and tree planting.

Keiry N.

Hera became curious about mental health treatments and conditions after noticing she and her family and friends became so much more aware of their own mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic. With her mentor, Anya (a neuroscience major at Northwestern), Hera researched the effects of the increased use of technology and social media (during the pandemic) on mental health.

Hera K.

Prompted by a negative experience after consuming a lot of caffeine to get through exam season, and noticing a rise in both mental health issues and caffeine consumption in youth, Jacqueline wondered if there may be a correlation. With her mentor Onyi, Jacqueline researched her hypothesis, wrote articles about her findings, and published them on a blog she designed. The overarching goal of her blog, CafeMind Chronicles, is to shine a light on unseen or overlooked issues in the mental health space.

Jacqueline

During an English class discussion about the concept of humanity, Lindsay realized how easily it is to dehumanize someone unless you’ve actually been in their shoes. With this idea, Lindsay turned her thoughts to how people overlook homelessness in her own community. She worked with her mentor, Eden, to research the issue of homelessness, connect with local resources, and design a website in Webflow to educate people about homelessness.

Lindsay

Jay U.

Alan

About the financial aid program

How it works

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Program kickoff

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The summer symposium

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Message From Audrey

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Success Stories

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