About Rachel Stephen

Hi, livestudyhackers! My name is Rachel Stephen, and I am a Senior at Montgomery High school.

When I was in middle school, seated at the cafeteria during lunch; I heard intense conversations between seniors about high SAT scores, the shocking low acceptance rates, and other unmet learning needs. I started measuring myself with peers who I believed to be more intelligent. My confidence and self-esteem dropped to their lowest point. During this time, I happened to watch “The Power of Choice” video of Tony Robbins with my family, and it was a game-changer. The quote that grabbed my attention was “It is not our conditions but our decisions that control our life.” My mind became wired to constantly focus on self-improvement in every way I could by reading Business and Psychology, and Neuroscience related books. I wanted to help my classmates understand how dopamine released by brain neurons gets activated when an individual is motivated and excited. I wanted to share with more people and students out there that we don’t need to live from our perceived identity but that we have so much power to change our lives and unleash the hidden potential within.

Recently, I have created a this project Live Study Hacks in which my mission is to help  middle school students to learn faster by improving their mindset, self-esteem and implementing new study skills that reduce their stress and anxiety. That is how livestudyhacks started; our mission is to help middle school students learn faster by improving their mindset, self-esteem and implementing new study skills that reduce their stress and anxiety. Here is the good news, “you can learn how to learn”. It is never too early to learn these skills so that you are equipped to take your grades to the next level. My goal is to share with more people and students out there that we don’t need to live from our perceived identity but that we have so much power to change our lives and discover the hidden potential within.Strategies are found on the livestudyhacks youtube channel, and we post videos and blogs e! On these blogs,  I come up with ways to jumpstart your mind and dramatically increase your success. Please hop on this journey with us to unleash your hidden learning speed! 🙂

Teen Ambassador to the ABCD Study at Yale University

The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (https://abcdstudy.org)  is the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded leading researchers in the fields of adolescent development and neuroscience to conduct this ambitious project. The ABCD Research Consortium consists of a Coordinating Center, a Data Analysis, Informatics & Resource Center, and 21 research sites across the country, which have invited 11,878 children ages 9-10 to join the study. Researchers will track their biological and behavioral development through adolescence into young adulthood.

Using cutting-edge technology, scientists will determine how childhood experiences (such as sports, videogames, social media, unhealthy sleep patterns, and smoking) interact with each other and with a child’s changing biology to affect brain development and social, behavioral, academic, health, and other outcomes.

The results of the ABCD Study will provide families; school superintendents, principals, and teachers; health professionals; and policymakers with practical information to promote the health, well-being, and success of children.

Princeton University – Neuroscience of Attention & Perception Laboratory 

Watch Dr. Kastner’s interview with the host of Livestudyhacks, Rachel Stephen, as they inspire future generations of researchers through diving deep into the discussion of the brain’s mechanisms of attention:

Local Community – Volunteering