The Fellows were recognized at an intimate gathering in the Math Major Room at Brooklyn Tech, joined by their families, math teachers, and key supporters of the Milo Kessler ’21 Math Major Fellows Fund. It was an opportunity to reflect on the impact of the fund, which has now supported 28 Brooklyn Tech Mathematics Majors in pursuit of unique and meaningful math-focused endeavors.

Introducing the 2025 Milo Kessler ’21 Math Major Fellows
This year’s Fellows include a diverse group of Brooklyn Tech Mathematics Majors who embarked on a range of projects during the summer. Their experiences showcase the breadth of mathematics and its applications:

• Arthur Cornelis spent six weeks at Hampshire College Summer Studies in Math, tackling advanced topics in number theory and topology.
• Leila DiGiacomo conducted biomedical research at Columbia University, using Bayesian analysis to study bladder tumor populations.
• Chelsea Ferguson launched a tutoring service called “Why Hate Math?” while also mentoring students in programming and robotics at Vaughn College STEP.
• Kohan Han participated in a six-week program at UCLA, focusing on statistical methods for life and health sciences.
• Kelly He attended NYU’s Summer of Math Talent Program, learning number theory, group theory, and graph theory.
• Kelvin La explored quantum computing at MIT’s Beaver Works Summer Institute.
• Ishan Nahian joined NYU’s Math Circle High School Summer Program, delving into combinatorial identities and explorative geometry.
• Nathan Onderko worked through challenging problem sets at MathILy at Bryn Mawr College.
• Sophie Ovcharenko explored financial management and artificial intelligence at Columbia Business School and MIT, respectively.
• Thomas Sidesinger interned at the National Museum of Math, guiding visitors through interactive exhibits.
• Eva Strelchenko and Anna Thomas both completed the six-week PROMYS program at Boston University, diving deep into number theory.
• Shuyi Wang combined math tutoring through the NYC Summer Youth Employment Program with self-study of advanced calculus and statistics.
• Rayhan Zahin honed competitive math skills at a course on computational geometry and counting strategies.

Each of these Fellows represents a continuation of Milo’s love for math, as they explore the subject in creative, impactful ways.

Remembering Milo and Continuing His Legacy
The Milo Kessler ’21 Math Major Fellows Fund was established to honor the life and passion of Milo Kessler, a Brooklyn Tech Mathematics Major who had a deep love for math and a unique, joyful spirit. The Fund supports high school juniors in the Applied Mathematics Major by providing fellowships of up to $3,000 for math-focused projects, education, internships, or outreach during the summer before their senior year.

Since its creation, 28 students have had the opportunity to become Milo Kessler ‘21 Math Major Fellows, continuing Milo’s legacy of fostering a deep appreciation for mathematics. Working closely with Milo’s parents, Daryl Kessler and Alana Fishberg, the Fellows program is administered by Dr. Thomas Blozy, a Math Major teacher, Dr. Mathew Mandery ’61, Chief Educational Officer of the Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation, and Courtney J. Ulrich ’90, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation.

The 2023 and 2024 Milo Fellows, who continue to keep Milo’s legacy ascendant, are current studying in college:

2023 Milo Fellows: Cyrus Castellanos, Carnegie Mellon University; Ela Ekincioglu, University of Wisconsin; Rommy Sasson, Yale University; Dan Viderman, University of Michigan; and Jitian Wang, New York University.

2024 Milo Fellows: Sadie Allspaw, Brown University; Md Almasrafi, Cornell University; David Armogan, Baruch College; Samual Byars, Case Western University; Yihan He, Stony Brook University; Luke Opalack, Trinity (Dublin); Charlie O’Sullivan, Stony Brook University; Lucas Papamitsakis, Yale University; and Sabina Wolfe, UCLA.

From the heartfelt dedication of his family and friends to the unwavering support of the broader Tech community, Milo’s influence remains strong.

Looking Ahead
The Milo Kessler ’21 Math Major Fellows gather each year in June, when the new cohort is announced. They come together again in September to share their summer experiences and in January at Brooklyn Tech’s annual Alumni Day event, where they present their work. These events bring together past and present Fellows, Math Department staff, and the Kessler family, creating a lasting and inspiring community.

A plaque in Brooklyn Tech’s Math Major Room commemorates Milo, reading: “In memory of Milo Kessler ’21, a superstar Brooklyn Tech Applied Mathematics Major who loved nothing more than working on a challenging math problem and recognized that math is everywhere and everywhere is math.”

Milo’s orange “Team Milo/Let’s Goooo” t-shirt also hangs in the Math Major Room to remind others of Milo’s bright, outsized, and yet understated personality.

Support the Milo Kessler ’21 Math Major Fellows Fund
The continued success of the Milo Kessler ’21 Math Major Fellows program depends on the generosity of donors. Your support helps sustain this unique program, which provides high school students with transformative experiences that deepen their love for math and prepare them for future success.

To make a donation to the Milo Kessler ’21 Math Major Fellows Fund, please visit the donation page.

For those wishing to learn more about Milo and the things he loved, please listen to Milo Time, a podcast available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. You can also follow along on Instagram @milotimepodcast for updates and additional content.