scholar (noun) - a student; pupil
Lakes High School graduate Dorien Simon isn’t satisfied just learning from textbooks. He wants to know things no one else has learned before and share that knowledge with others.
Currently in his first year at Stanford University, Dorien has jumped head first into the world of research. He is part of a research group, led by professor Pablo Paredes, that is developing chat bots that can help people talk through the various stressors in their lives.
“We are working on an army of chat bots, each one with a different set of skills to help people cope with different stressors,” he said. “For example, someone can put the chat bot on while driving home from work to talk through their work-day stress.”
Dorien cultivated his interest in research during his time at Lakes. The school hosts a science competition each year that asks students to build objects and complete various challenges. During his sophomore year at Lakes, Dorien crafted a slide flute from various parts he could find and played songs.
“I just really have a fascination with being able to create or build or discover things you might not be able to google and learn immediately,” he said.
Lifelong Learner is one of the Four Pillars of Student Success and provides a strong foundation to help young people develop into active learners and strong citizens. Dorien demonstrates a commitment to lifelong learning through his desire to learn more about the world for himself and others.
In addition to working on research projects and being a member of the Stanford track team, Dorien has been involved in scholarship programs at the school. He is a member of the Society of Black Scientists and Engineers and the Ernest Houston Johnson Scholars Program.
Though he is still a freshman, Dorien plans to major in computer science and find a job that allows him to continue working on research. “I don’t want to be doing the same thing every day,” he said. “I like being able to do things not many others can do and discovering things that others haven’t discovered before.”