Lennin’s STEM Journey
Lennin has always been deeply curious.
His curiosity led him to one of his first loves, chess, which he began playing in first grade. Lennin was all in, attending tournaments every weekend, taking classes before and after school, winning trophies, even flying to Dallas (his first time on a plane) to play in his first (of many) national tournament.
Eventually, Lennin, who grew up in Brooklyn, landed at I.S. 318, a public middle school famous for its chess program (they have been national champions 58 times). It was there he learned about the Summer Program in Mathematical Problem Solving (SPMPS for short, later renamed BEAM — Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics) from his chess teacher. “At the time, I didn’t know these programs existed,” he said. “The idea of going to a college campus to study advanced mathematics and have some of my friends who also play chess be a part of the program, I remember just thinking ‘Oh, wow, this sounds like a really good, dope opportunity.’”
When Dan Zaharopol, BEAM’s founder and CEO, came to I.S. 318 to recruit students for SPMPS, Lennin remembers telling him about all the “really nerdy things” he was into, like math, chess and coding. There was an immediate connection. Lennin says he was really excited to learn there were other students and adults just like him — passionate about learning and sharing the mathematical world.
That July at SPMPS, Lennin’s view of what the future held and what math could be was transformed.
Lennin at Bard, 2014
“It was the most impactful summer I’ve had because that was the first time college became a reality for me — going to the campus, seeing what it’s like being away from the city, staying at a dorm, and being with people who were also nerds.” He took classes in logic, cryptography, and more. “I never even knew you could think of life or the world through these lenses,” he said. He was exposed to ideas he’d never seen in school. "Seeing these incredible professors passionately teaching us mathematics — and not only sharing, but sparking joy with me — radically changed how I viewed education and what I was capable of. I felt cared for, appreciated, and seen. It's moments like these that transform your life direction. I'm eternally grateful."
At the end of the summer in response to the question, “What does math mean to you?” Lennin wrote: “Exploring an infinite realm and deciding which course is yours.”
Lennin sits third from the left in a blue t-shirt.
“It was a really transformative summer for me,” said Lennin. He returned to school feeling less shy, a little more open, and far more prepared academically.
What happened next was equally important. “Not only did BEAM give me this opportunity, but they’re like, ‘Hey, we really want to stick around in your life.’ Having that encouragement and support allowed me to achieve and set my ambitions higher than ever before. And for my parents, who sacrificed so much for me, it meant the world to them to have BEAM take care of me in ways they didn’t know how.”
BEAM’s support and belief in Lennin were pivotal. BEAM introduced him to Bard High School Early College (BHSEC), where he graduated with his associates degree at 17 years old. “Going to Bard was one of the most important decisions in my life,” he said. “I feel like that’s such a crazy thing about BEAM. They help you make what appear to be small decisions at that age, but they’re the decisions that set you up for life — and they have your best interests at heart.”
Lennin spoke at a High School Admissions panel in 2016…
…worked as a summer counselor/Teaching Assistant at BEAM Discovery, and attended field trips with BEAM while in high school
At BHSEC, Lennin explored many passions. “I feel like I’ve definitely had a huge journey in my academic interest,” he said. He became an activist, working on behalf of undocumented students with the Immigration Task Force under Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, and wrote short stories and poetry. When he was accepted to college, he intended to pursue his interest in government, politics, and public policy. “I have a strong voice [and] I really care about people,” he noted. But when he got to Franklin & Marshall, his interest in STEM reemerged. His thinking was: “The landscape of the world today is heavily shifting towards a digital future, and I don’t want to be left behind. Let me switch and go study computer science and mathematics and use these skills to pursue my humanitarian goals.”
During college, in addition to his studies, Lennin was driven to give back to his community. He completed an internship in product management at Coded by Kids, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting underrepresented students in Philadelphia to become future innovators; there he found a mentor in Sylvester Mobley, a Philadelphia social impact and tech leader. He went on to become the project manager at Draft Studios, a web development agency (part of Coded by Kids) that built websites for nonprofits and startups. Fast forward to today, and Lennin is working within a venture studio, where, among other things, he’s developing an internship program aimed at equipping high school and undergraduate students in Philadelphia with the skills, knowledge, resources, and space to build their own startups.
In the midst of all of this, Lennin also graduated from Franklin & Marshall in May with a double major in mathematics and computer science.
So, what’s next? For Lennin, it’s developing his skills to tackle the issues he cares deeply about, including education for marginalized communities and climate change. He’s drawn to blockchain as a potentially game-changing technology, and to the startup world. “Everyone is trying to figure out what to do and I’m no exception. But I’m only 22, with an intense desire to keep learning and provide genuine value to the communities I love and care for. With this in mind, I’ll always move forward.”
Lennin has his sights set high, hoping to one day build his own startup, while continuing to mentor others. “I know it’s a big thing, but I genuinely just want to build something that helps the people I care about a lot and provides value in the world. I know at the heart of it is this idea of educating youth. There’s so much more that you are capable of, there’s so much more that you can do, so much more that we can build for our communities.”