liya✳Say hello

HELLO, I’M LIYA MA

A curious mind.
A builder’s hands.
A little heart.

High school student. Robot enthusiast. Believer that the best things we build bring people closer.

Meet my projects The person behind them

LOOMIS CHAFFEE SCHOOL ↗ WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT

THE WORK-IN-PROGRESS CLUBEST. ALWAYS
Liya sharing her community service project at a school service fair
Finding connection. Making a difference.
Built to make a difference
ENGINEERING WITH CURIOSITY✳CREATING WITH PURPOSE✳LEARNING BY DOING✳
01 / THE PERSON

There’s a person
behind every project.

I’m Liya, a senior at the Loomis Chaffee School. I love the kind of question that makes you roll up your sleeves and try something.

For me, that might mean building a robot with my team, sharing a film through audio description, or working through a math puzzle just to see where it leads.

And when I step away from a project, you might find me at the piano, practicing kung fu, or swimming with my school team.

A few different interests. The same curious me. ↙

02 / IDEAS IN THE WORLD

Small beginnings.
Meaningful possibilities.

Where technology, teamwork,
and a care for others meet.

Liya and fellow volunteers talking with a cinema visitor before a screening
A DIFFERENT WAY TO SEE

A story belongs
to everyone.

01 — COMMUNITY & ACCESSIBILITY

Making movies
come alive.
Through sound.

Movies are full of stories told without words. My project explores how narrated audio descriptions can help people with visual impairments enjoy those stories, too.

It brings together two things I care about: creative storytelling and making shared experiences more accessible.

Audio descriptionCommunity service
See moments from the community
02 — ROBOTICS & TEAMWORK

Eight teammates.
Countless iterations.
One shared goal.

I led a team of eight through the 2023–2024 FIRST LEGO League MASTERPIECE season, turning ideas into a robot—and learning how to bring out the best in one another.

Our team earned awards in innovation, core values, and robot performance, as well as a championship, across regional, national, and international competitions.

Team leadershipFLL MASTERPIECE
8TEAM MEMBERS
2023–24MASTERPIECE SEASON
FROM THE ROBOTICS NOTEBOOK↗
ImagineBuildTest
a little curiosity.a lot of heart.FIG. 01 / ALWAYS ITERATING
And then, try again. ↺

03 / BEYOND THE BUILD

Not just
nuts and bolts.

Different ways to find focus,
expression, and a little joy.

01

MATHEMATICS

A mind for puzzles

I have loved problems and puzzles since I was six. Math is my favorite subject—a place to explore patterns, try another approach, and enjoy the moment something clicks.

Local and international competitions · Math summer camps
02

PIANO

Finding my rhythm

I started playing at three, with my mom, a pianist, as my first guide. Music has been part of my life ever since.

2nd place, Piano Solo · 10th Ivy International Grand Prize of Music, 2023
03

MARTIAL ARTS

Practice, then repeat

I have practiced kung fu since second grade, building discipline and focus along the way—and bringing that practice to martial arts competitions.

Years of practice · Multiple competition awards
04

SWIMMING

One lap at a time

Nine years in the water have taught me to keep showing up. Today, I swim as a member of my high school team.

High school swim team · Nine years of swimming

04 / A CLOSER LOOK

Life, in the making.

People, places, and the moments
that make a project personal.

STILL LEARNING. STILL BUILDING.

The next good idea
starts with curiosity.

Have a question, an idea, or an opportunity to learn together?
I’d love to hear from you.

Let’s connect me@liyama.net