We recently connected with Claire Wang and have shared our conversation below.
Claire, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I didn’t stumble upon my purpose in a single, defining moment. There was no lightning strike or earth-shaking epiphany. It arrived gradually—like the quiet swell of an orchestra tuning before the first note. I found it in the still hours after school, coding line by line to build a tutoring platform. I felt it stepping onto the stage of Carnegie Hall, bow in hand, heart racing—the same stage where Tchaikovsky once conducted and Rachmaninoff performed. And I saw it clearly in the smile of a girl on the other side of a Zoom screen as she realized she could, in fact, do AP Chemistry problems.
My purpose revealed itself at the intersection of two seemingly opposite worlds: logic and lyricism. For years, I kept them separate—coding with one hand, performing with the other. But over time, I saw the deeper connection. Whether it’s the clean elegance of an algorithm or the emotional arc of a symphony, both are languages—tools to solve problems, restore hope, and tell powerful truths.
I found purpose not in being the best, but in building bridges—for students told they couldn’t, and communities often overlooked. That’s why I co-founded Future Female Scholars, a student-led nonprofit offering free math and science tutoring to underserved girls worldwide. What began as a simple idea grew into a global platform, reaching over 138,000 students and helping them believe in their own brilliance. At the same time, I lead Music of Harmony, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses music to support humanitarian relief. From benefit concerts that have raised over $6,800 for UNICEF to weekly performances at senior living and Alzheimer’s care centers, I’ve come to believe that music doesn’t just entertain—it heals, connects, and inspires.
That same commitment to service shapes my work beyond the classroom. Whether volunteering at Memorial Hermann, discharging patients and coordinating with nurses, or shadowing Dr. Caitlin Wehrle at Welch Dental Group as she navigates the art of surgery, I’ve learned that real service isn’t flashy—it’s steady, thoughtful, and grounded in presence. As a leader of my school’s club organization Girls Engineering, Math, and Science, I help create space for others to grow, just as I’ve grown.
I’ve come to believe purpose isn’t something you chase—it’s something you create, when you care enough to act. One line of code. One concert. One student at a time.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am the co-founder of Future Female Scholars, a nonprofit dedicated to making STEM education more accessible and equitable—particularly for girls from underserved and low-income communities. I am also a passionate and accomplished violinist who has been invited to perform internationally across the U.S. and Europe. Whether I’m building websites or taking the stage at Carnegie Hall, I use both technology and music as tools to inspire and provoke meaningful change.
The concept of Future Female Scholars began as a simple and casual conversation between my co-founder, Vivian Liu, and me. We both recognized the abundance of bright, talented students who lacked access to consistent support in math and science—and we wanted to change that. We provide free tutoring in math and science by connecting teen tutors from around the world with students who need support.
One feature I’m especially proud of is our Student Tutor Forum—a curated space on our platform where advanced students proficient in subjects like calculus, physics, and computer science can post short biographies and connect directly with students seeking help. This creates a personalized, peer-driven experience that makes academic support feel accessible, approachable, and empowering.
As a current high school sophomore, I hand-coded our website from scratch using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to ensure it was clean, intuitive, and centered on user experience. I continue to lead its technical development as we expand, which now includes a structured volunteer program and a student-run social media marketing team. Watching something I built grow into a platform that now serves students globally has been one of the most fulfilling parts of this journey.
Outside of STEM, music has shaped who I am. I’ve performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Musikverein in Vienna, and the Berlin Philharmonie, where I earned 2nd place at both the Berlin and Vienna International Music Competitions for my performance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. I’ve also been recognized in national piano competitions. Music has taught me discipline, creativity, and how to connect with others without the use of words.
That passion led me to lead Music of Harmony, a youth-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses music as a force for social change. Through benefit concerts and community performances, we’ve raised funds for humanitarian efforts—including over $6,800 for UNICEF to support children in Palestine. We’re now preparing for our next round of performances and expanding outreach efforts to new cities across Texas, in collaboration with local businesses and schools.
In addition, I serve as an executive officer in my school’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter. I won the Texas State Championship in Programming last year and recently placed 3rd in Website Coding and Development using React. I’ve been invited to represent Texas at the FBLA National Leadership Conference this June in Anaheim, California.
At the intersection of logic and lyricism, my work in both STEM and the arts is driven by one belief: education and creative expression are powerful equalizers. They open doors, spark empathy, and have the potential to create deep, lasting transformation.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, three things shaped my journey in ways I never expected: creative grit, systems thinking, and an unwavering belief in building before you’re actually ready.
Creative grit is not just about perseverance; it’s about forging ahead when the answers remain unclear and the road ahead is unpaved. I felt this most when I was hand-coding a tutoring platform from scratch or writing fundraising letters that needed to mean something and move hearts—not just check boxes. It’s the ability to push through ambiguity and lack of instruction with creativity that made all the difference for me.
Systems thinking helped me zoom out and connect the dots. I learned to see how nonprofit operations, educational inequities, social media marketing, and even digital interfaces fit into a larger ecosystem. This mindset allowed me to lead effectively—whether it was matching students and tutors across time zones or helping direct our PR and social media team.
Finally, the most powerful one, in my opinion: build before you’re ready. Too often, people wait for a credential, a title, or the perfect plan, thinking they need it first. I’ve learned the opposite. The best way to grow is to start now—even if it’s messy, uncertain, and ambitious. The knowledge, mentorship, and mastery show up after you take the leap.
My advice: don’t polish your potential until it’s dull. Be bold in your experiments, learn fast, apologize if you mess up, and keep iterating. You don’t need permission to begin—you just need purpose.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
One book that unexpectedly shaped my development is Chicken Soup for the Soul: Stories for a Better World. It is not a textbook or a guide, but instead it’s a mosaic of human experience. At first glance, its simplicity might be easy to dismiss, but the quiet depth of its stories left a lasting mark on me. Its personal storytelling reminded me that quiet love, simple gestures, and enduring empathy can create profound transformation.
One story that stays with me is about a woman grieving her father’s death. After months of aching for a sign from him and receiving nothing, she had a vivid and peaceful experience where her late mother appeared to her instead—serene, radiant, and untouched by the pain of Alzheimer’s. The mother simply smiled, “All I remember is love.” That line lingers with me, as it reminds me that even in loss, what endures isn’t pain—it’s the love we gave and received.
Another account followed Judge Lee Shapiro, known as the “Hugging Judge.” He took on a challenge to share unconditional kindness in real-world settings by offering hugs to strangers—even to a tough San Francisco bus driver and patients at a home for the disabled. One of those patients, Leonard, hadn’t smiled in 23 years. However, after a simple hug and a balloon hat, Leonard let out a joyful sound and smiled. That moment was a jolt and a reminder that compassion, when offered freely, has the power to break through even the hardest silence.
These stories grounded me in the idea that changing the world does not have to be loud or large-scale. Sometimes it can look like being present with someone in their grief or offering joy to a person society overlooks. That’s a lesson I try to carry in my work, leadership, and the way I interact with people every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://futurefemalescholars.com
- Instagram: @future.female.scholars and @clairelwang
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-wang-9bb54235a
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