When Senior Kindergarten student Anna Sophia was just three years old, on holiday in Florida, her family spent a rainy afternoon in a science museum.

“Four hours later we were tired but we had to bribe her out of there with ice cream,” says her father, Khalil Maalouf. “Anna Sophia has shown interest in science and, in general, girls don’t get encouragement in STEM from such an early age.” 

And that’s why, after just three months as a Branksome family, Khalil and Iuliana Gheorghe are honouring their daughter’s pending journey through Branksome Hall by inscribing a Stepping Stone in iCAST in her name.

Consider that, decades from now, Anna Sophia will be a visiting alum, proud of her named, lasting legacy in a space that invested so successfully in her future STEM-related pursuits.

Iuliana values the opportunity to invest in students’ futures that will contribute to long-term success. “We're happy to be part of such a project,” she says, “and we hope this will enhance the educational resources and opportunities and create a positive learning environment that also builds community.”

Anna Sophia loves her first foray into robotics and “inventing things.” She can also spend 16 minutes watching a YouTube video on plankton, “which is hours in SK-student years,” says her dad. “It’s wonderful that iCAST will be a place that takes early interest in and provides exposure to STEM and sets up students to carry that through the entire JK-Grade 12 journey.”

Learn more about our Stepping Stones program.