Somerville High School senior Samiyra Afife spent part of her summer connecting with peers from around the world through the Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) Program. Samiyra was one of 400 high school students to participate in the week-long program this summer, immersing herself in scientific online courses and discussions about global issues.

Overall, 2,400 students participated in YYGS this summer over the course of several weeks. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the first time YYGS was offered in a virtual setting.

During this program, Samiyra was able to combine her passion and talent for art with her passion for science. While in the YYGS summer program, she had an opportunity to be part of a neuropsychology research project at Yale University in Dr. Molly Crockett’s lab. Dr. Crockett invited interested students to apply to be part of a graphic design media team for a research project founded and created by Cameron Berg, an undergraduate researcher at Yale. The goal was to bring together a team of YYGS students who would apply their marketing, data analysis, programming, and art strengths to assist with a research study of neuropsychology and personality. Samiyra, along with 6 other students, were selected out of 100+ YYGS Scholar applicants to be part of this graphic design media team. The 7-member team generated graphic ideas that Samiyra then brought to life. Their outstanding work is featured in The Personality Project (www.thepersonalityproject.org), a model that the research team developed that predicts individual traits. 

Samiyra is a member of the SHS National Art Honors Society. Among the numerous art courses that she has completed are Computer and Advanced Computer Art taught by Ms. Jessica Howard, SHS Art Teacher, where she was able to hone the graphic arts skills showcased in The Personality Project. Samiyra has also worked with Ms. Howard on several exhibits over the years where Samiyra’s artwork has been showcased including at Assembly Row, the 2020 MAEA Juried Recognitions Exhibition at the State Transportation Building, and in Scholastics.

Samiyra writes about her Yale Young Global Scholars experience in this blog post (https://somerville.k12.ma.us/blog/samiyra-afife-young-global-scholars-program). To learn more about the YYGS Program and how to apply for this innovative experience, visit https://globalscholars.yale.edu/.