The Milo Kessler ’21 Math Major Fellows: Growing a Legacy of Mathematical Excellence at Brooklyn Tech
The Milo Kessler ’21 Math Major Fellows: Growing a Legacy of Mathematical Excellence at Brooklyn Tech
Jun 26, 2025
This spring, Brooklyn Technical High School proudly welcomed its fourth cohort of Milo Kessler ’21 Math Major Fellows — a group of nineteen exceptional juniors in the Applied Mathematics Major who will spend the summer pursuing advanced math research, academic enrichment, internships, and outreach. The 2025 Milo Fellows join a growing community of 47 Fellows who, over the past four years, have honored the legacy of Milo Kessler ’21 through their deep commitment to mathematics.
Gathered in Brooklyn Tech’s iconic Math Room (Room 5N7), the new Fellows were joined by many of their predecessors — graduating seniors from the Class of 2025 and several members of the Class of 2024, now thriving in colleges across the country. The energy in the room was electric: current Fellows shared their summer plans, while returning Fellows reflected on their own journeys and offered mentorship.
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What the 2025 Milo Fellows Are Doing This Summer
Each Fellow received $2,500 to support summer experiences that deepen their engagement with mathematics. Their plans include advanced summer programs, independent research, teaching opportunities, and internships that connect math to real-world challenges.
2025 Milo Fellows:
- Xishen Chen – Awesome Math: Computational Geometry, Algebra 2.5, and AMC/AIME-level preparation
- Henry Dixon – Columbia University Pre-College Program: Studying quantum computing
- Abror Erkinov – MIT CogWorks: Mathematics behind neural networks and AI model optimization
- Daniel Finkelstein – Foundational Mathematics of Artificial Intelligence course
- Peter Gutkovich – NYC FIRST: Teaching robotics at a new STEM Center in Downtown Brooklyn
- Daniel Hammer – Independent research on the prime big omega function in Pascal’s triangle
- Tina Jiang – Awesome Math and Hampshire College Summer Studies: Computational geometry and more
- Abdur Labik – Awesome Math, New York Math Circle, Museum of Mathematics (MoMath), and independent research and outreach
- Xavier Michael Labourdette – Columbia University SPS: Real-world math applications in graph theory and combinatorics
- Alexander Lipatov – Awesome Math: Counting strategies and modular arithmetic
- Oscar Milledge – Awesome Math: Computational geometry
- Katerina Mosunova – Con Edison Internship: Data analysis in Distribution Engineering
- Elvis Osmanov – Inspirit AI: AI Scholars Program
- Zachary Punnoose – Columbia University and MoMath: Studying quantum computing; volunteering
- Ashley Rivera-Alvarez – CURIE Academy & Girls Who Code Pathways: AI in weather simulation, cybersecurity, and data science
- Jason Shum – Awesome Math: Geometry and algebra
- Xiao Bin Wang – Awesome Math: Algebra and computational geometry
- Madeleine Ward – MoMath: Volunteering at the Museum of Mathematics (MoMath)
- Tony Wu – Awesome Math: Geometry, algebra, number theory, and combinatorics
A Lasting Legacy: Milo Kessler ’21 Math Major Fellows in College
The program’s impact continues beyond high school. Many previous Milo Kessler ‘21 Math Major Fellows are now pursuing mathematics and related fields at some of the nation’s top universities.
2024 Milo Kessler ‘21 Math Major Fellows are headed to schools such as Yale, Cornell, MIT, and the University of Chicago.
2023 Milo Kessler ‘21 Math Major Fellows are now at Brown, Cornell, Stony Brook, Yale, UCLA, and other prestigious institutions.
Milo Kessler ‘21 Math Major Fellows from the inaugural cohort, who completed their funded projects in the summer of 2022, are studying at Carnegie Mellon, University of Michigan, NYU, and Yale.
These alumni remain active in the Milo Fellows community, mentoring younger Fellows and contributing to the program’s growing impact.
About the Milo Kessler '21 Math Major Fellows Fund
Milo Kessler, Class of 2021, was a proud Math Major whose passion for mathematics and boundless generosity left a lasting impression on the Brooklyn Tech community. The Fund created in his memory allows current Math Majors to follow in his footsteps by supporting math-focused summer enrichment between junior and senior year.
Unlike most fellowship programs that target college or graduate students, this fund is uniquely focused on high school juniors, empowering them at a formative stage in their academic journeys. Since its inception, 47 Brooklyn Tech students have been named Milo Fellows.
The Fund not only honors Milo’s legacy but also ensures that his spirit — marked by intellectual curiosity, compassion, and joy — continues to inspire future generations.
Remembering Milo
To learn more about the spirit and personality behind this extraordinary initiative, we encourage you to listen to the “Milo Time” podcast, available on Spotify, Apple, and other platforms. The podcast shares stories about the things Milo loved, giving voice to the kindness, humor, and brilliance he brought into the world.
Follow the podcast at @milotimepodcast for updates and bonus content.
Special Thanks
This program would not be possible without the tireless support and generosity of Milo’s parents, Alana Fishberg and Daryl Kessler, and their remarkable circle of 500 family members and friends, along with the Brooklyn Tech Math Department including: Dr. Tom Blozy, Milo’s mentor and math teacher, Daniel Amato, Melanie Battles, and Scott Matthews, and all the dedicated math faculty at Brooklyn Tech.
Together, we are building something extraordinary — a living legacy that honors Milo Kessler and fuels the passion of Brooklyn Tech’s next generation of mathematicians.
Help Us Keep the Legacy Alive Milo Kessler '21 Math Major Fellows Fund
The success of the Milo Fellows program depends entirely on donor support. To ensure that future Math Majors at Brooklyn Tech can benefit from these transformative opportunities, please consider making a contribution.
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