Ashesh Amatya

Ashesh Amatya is originally from Nepal but grew up in the village of Wellington, Florida. He graduated from Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts as the valedictorian of the class. He plans to explore the fields of computer science, finance, and medicine during his time at Columbia.

Ashesh has been deeply involved in STEM research throughout high school. He has conducted multiple independent research projects incorporating the interdisciplinary fields of machine learning, environmental science, and neuroscience. In his most pronounced project, Ashesh used artificial intelligence and machine learning to create a predictive tool for the identification of algae bloom in Lake Okeechobee. With this research, Ashesh was selected for this program as a finalist at the INTEL International Science Fair in the environmental engineering category. He was invited to speak at the Junior Science Engineering Humanities Symposium (JSEHS) and the University of Florida Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Science Conference (GEER). In the summer of 2021, Ashesh was an intern at Scripps Research Institute, researching the classification of distinct neurons using machine learning.

Coming from an art school for both middle and high school, he has studied many years of classical piano. He served as the department's historian, promoting his and his peers' school performances. He volunteers at hospital lobbies, playing piano for patients in the local area. He has also participated and placed in many piano competitions, invited to play in venues like Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, and Wiener Saal Mozarteum.

In school itself, Ashesh was the president of Mu Alpha Theta, managing and coaching all competitive mathematics competitions and events. He was also the president of Academic Games, where he taught students various procedures, strategies, and rules. He led students to qualification for national tournaments and helped them prepare for individual events. Participating in these competitive events himself, Ashesh is a 2x AIME Qualifier (American Invitational Mathematics Examination) and an AGLOA 2x National Finalist (Academic Games League of America).

In his free time, Ashesh enjoys playing tennis, video games, and volunteering. He has competed in his school's varsity tennis team for two years. And he has continuously taught Nepali orphans via Zoom through the PREM program by the Health Nepal Foundation.

Wherever field he ends up in, Ashesh hopes to eventually make a name for himself and make a positive impact on the world.