Highlights from this Year’s Welles Award Projects

Created in memory of William Bouton Welles ’71, the William Welles Award is one of Lawrenceville’s many opportunities for students to pursue their passion and direct an independent study in a promising area of interest. Each year, a committee of faculty members comes together to select a group of III and IV Formers. The selected students receive a grant and work on their projects during the summer to then showcase their studies during the annual fall showcase. As students begin to finish up their projects, some have come forward to share their experiences and the desired impact of their projects on both Lawrentians and the broader community.

Miranda De Olden ’26 created a civics youth engagement as an extension of her current work as the founder of the Civics Club at Lawrenceville. Her Welles project aims to support students, “particularly Latino youth who have historically had less voter turnout compared to their Asian, Black, and Caucasian peers.” De Olden’s motivation is driven by the inequalities Latinos face when engaging in political discussions. She plans on “further advocating for “mandatory civic education in New Jersey high schools that includes better cultural representation,” especially surrounding historically marginalized groups. During the summer, De Olden used the grant to launch a student survey, interview the President of the New Jersey Center for Civic Education at Rutgers University, and compile a literature review on how culturally relevant civic education can increase civic readiness and voter turnout. De Olden emphasized that in a politically divided world, “it’s more important than ever to have policies based on solid research and real evidence.” De Olden is excited to continue her independent study by continuing to lead the Civics Club this year.

Simran Rath ’26 was chosen to work on a project called Amplified, a platform that blends neuroscience and coding, utilizing tempos and instrumentals to create beats that alleviate negative emotions. When asked about what inspired her project, Rath responded that her dream as a child was to become a psychiatrist and that she wanted to “pursue her passion for neuroscience while also helping people navigate their mental health at the same time.” She noted how the Welles Grant was “instrumental in bringing [her] vision to life,” as it allowed her to access sophisticated software and artificial intelligence tools to create music tailored to individual cognitive needs. Rath also mentions how many schools, including Lawrenceville, have several students who are challenged with mental health obstacles. She envisions Amplified one day “assist[ing] students in managing stress, sharpen[ing] focus, and enhanc[ing] overall well being,” and is excited to showcase her work later this year.

Sathvik Samant ’26 began a project on teaching students about ethical artificial intelligence usage and used his grant to access published papers and compile information. When asked about what motivated him to pursue this project, Samant referred to the beginning of the AI outbreak in 2023. Adults around him, as he described, believed the technology would “destroy humanity.” Rather than viewing the development of artificial intelligence through a pessimistic lens, Samant wanted to envision a future where technology
could be utilized responsibly by the youth. He believes that there is a “big responsibility on future generations to manage A.I. safely and responsibly” and his curriculum could be the first step towards easing into that future.

Georges Casassovici ’25 used the award to advance a longtime project of building better software technology for LiDAR scanners, a device that projects millions of rays of light to conceive a large array of 3D reflections. However, Casassocivi noticed how most projections just weren’t realistic and strived to fix that. He used the grant to file a patent for his project, claiming that the grant “paved the path for an early-onset connection between LiDAR and AI.” He believes that his project can extend beyond Law-
renceville by “opening up new applications for technology such as video game environments, movie production, and more.” Casassovici encourages students to “get creative” and apply for the Welles Grant, as it has been an unmatched opportunity and has assisted him in his first steps toward achieving his dreams.