Daphne Avkarogullari

About Daphne Avkarogullari

My name is Defne Avkarogullari, but I go by Daphne. I am currently a rising senior at the Harker School. I am an assistant coach for the Harker Football team and the first student to ever be an assistant coach/in a coaching position at Harker. Outside of being a student assistant coach, I was selected in 2023 to be a Mitra scholar for the Near-Mitra Scholar Grant program where 8-10 award recipients work closely with a faculty mentor over the course of the year to produce a university-level research paper which is then published. After publication, we will meet with the Hume undergraduate fellows at Stanford’s Humanities Department. Additionally, I am the Debate Captain for Harker’s Speech and Debate team, a National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) leading chapter. Individually, I have received NSDA’s Degree of Special Distinction from achievements such as being a Public Forum (PF) Quarterfinalist at UC Berkeley’s Invitational, a Lincoln Douglas (LD) Octofinalist at UNLV ’s Golden Desert Tournament, and a PF Octofinalist at the Apple Valley, Glenbrooks, and at the Jack Howe Long Beach Tournaments. This summer, the Harker debate team hired me to work for their summer Speech and Debate program as a Teacher’s Assistant, promoting me from a student judge. Since 9th grade, I have volunteered as a summer counselor at the Walden West Summer Camp where I have been selected to be a counselor mentor. Working at the Second Harvest Food Bank alongside Walden West, I have received the Gold Presidential Service Award three times. Additionally, I have been working as a Starbucks Barista since the start of this summer. Among other activities, I am the president of the Psychology Club at Harker and the vice president of the Medical Club through which I have worked under the mentorship of a radiologist (9th), a neurologist (10th), and an anesthesiologist (11th). Finally, I have been in the Annual Dance Show every year at Harker since 10th grade.

Experience

1. Engineering Possibilities Summit Program Member

   Goldman Sachs

   Jan 2025 — Present

   One of applicants selected to be part of Goldman Sachs\'s Engineering Possibilities Summit Program 2025, a year-long virtual program for undergraduates to expand your personal network, cultivate top industry skills, and explore opportunities at Goldman Sachs.

Education

• Carnegie Mellon University

  Bachelor of Science - BS

  2024 — 2028

• The Harker School

  High School Diploma

  2018 — 2024