The BranchOut! Blog

The chapter's continued growth also reflects the dedication of its student leadership team, whose vision and commitment have helped expand BranchOut!'s impact throughout Howard County. The 2025–2026 leadership team includes Ethan Gao as Chapter Head; Clara Luo as Assistant Chapter Head and Mabelle Liu as Senior Director of Education, all of whom serve as BranchOut!’s national board members as well.

When Abby Wei, a rising 12th grader at Tabor Academy, stepped into her role as a BranchOut! team leader at the Boys & Girls Club this summer, she brought energy, speed, and a strong drive to succeed. Like many high-achieving student leaders, Abby initially thought leadership meant having all the answers and carrying the weight of the project on her own shoulders. Beyond her work with BranchOut!, Abby harbors a deep passion for marine science and ocean engineering. At Tabor Ac

When attendees log into a BranchOut! Community Workshop, they see a polished, engaging event: esteemed expert panelists, confident student emcees, and seamless, thoughtful conversations. What they don’t see is the weeks of intense preparation, persistent outreach, and quiet problem-solving happening behind the scenes. Every smooth, 60-minute panel discussion is actually the iceberg peak of hundreds of hours of student teamwork.

When 20+ eager young innovators stepped into the Richard Byrd Library in Springfield, VA, on Saturday, July 25th, they were met with a simple yet formidable task: build the ultimate bridge out of plastic straws and construct a towering skyscraper using only index cards. What followed was two hours of sheer creativity, intense teamwork, and breakthrough moments. As one of BranchOut!’s largest community STEAM Camp sessions of the summer in the DMV area (DC/MD/VA), the event