10| FRESHMAN
aryana motlagh stepping up the world of S T EM
Despite potentially inheriting a genetic kidney disease, Miami Palmetto Senior High freshman Aryana Motlagh uses the genes she was born with to teach others the importance of science, technology, engineering and math through her involvement in numerous organizations. While Aryana currently lives in the United States, she has moved back and forth between the U.S. and her original home in Iran. She first relocated to the U.S. at age four, moving back to Iran in the first grade and eventually returning to the U.S. in the fifth grade. “[Moving] has affected me positively and negatively. Being able
to live in two very different countries with different cultures has expanded my view of the world and made me more open minded to different cultures,” Aryana said. “At the same time, moving from one place to another from around the world has limited my relationships. I have lost the connection with my friends in Iran and haven’t been able to form [more] in the U.S.” In Iran, Aryana first became interested in the world of STEM from her aunt, a doctor. “[My interest in STEM started when I was] growing up,” Aryana said. “I lived close to my aunt, who was a pharmacist, and I would go to her office, which is what made me fall in love with the science field and medicine.” While her aunt first sparked her interest, Aryana became increasingly aware of the importance of STEM with her family’s genetic inheritance of Polycystic Kidney Disease, a disorder in which cysts develop across the kidneys, eventually causing the organs to fail. Both Aryana’s uncle and grandfather passed away prematurely from it, and doctors diagnosed her father with it as well. “Less than 20% of my dad’s kidneys work, and he’s on the national list for a kidney donation. There is a 50/50 chance I’ll have it by the age of 35, and there’s no cure for it,” Aryana said. “So, that’s really what got me passionate about it, because I saw him every day going to doctors.” Diagnosed with PKD over 20 years ago, her father, Alireza Motlagh, currently battles with stage four of the five stages of the disorder, making him legally disabled. “It is affecting [me] because you do not know what is ahead of you, which is not good news,” Alireza said. “Mentally it is affecting you, physically it is affecting you, and... stage four means you are using [up] your energy, so you always feel tired; I cannot do physical work any longer.” Despite Aryana’s family condition that has affected many people in her life, she has used it to spread awareness about organ donations to others in her community. Aryana’s family has inspired her passion in the STEM field, where she has joined numerous clubs and organizations to continue learning about the various fields the subject offers. Aryana recently became involved with the Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency, a nonprofit organization part
