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Rachmaninoff to Riverside

Ezekiel “Zeke” Kumar-Lau lived a pretty cool life in the Bay Area. He spent his time playing basketball with his friends at Monte Vista High School and mastering the piano — so well, in fact, that he debuted at New York’s famed Carnegie Hall at age 12. (His favorite song to play is Rachmaninoff’s Moment Musicaux No. 4.) But Kumar-Lau wanted to experience more. He knew he wanted to attend a University of California campus, but one far enough away from his hometown to expand his horizons. He applied to all the Southern California campuses and eventually decided to pursue a degree in biology at UCR. It was rough leaving behind his dad, mom, younger brother, and best mate — a Yorkie-poo named Max — but he made his way down the California Coast, saying goodbye to the chill of the Bay Area and hello to the warmth of the Inland Empire.

Pentland Pals

As a first-year undergrad at UCR, Kumar-Lau was assigned to live in Pentland Hills Residence Hall, where he felt welcome right away. Among the 1,000-plus students who resided in the 17-building residence hall, he quickly found his circle of friends. Some of them also came to UCR from Northern California, having attended high schools only 10 miles away from his. They bonded over Bay Area memories and made new ones attending the many activities hosted by resident advisors. They explored Riverside together, discovering their favorite all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant, Asahi, where they once collectively ate 300 pieces of sushi in a single sitting. He’s stuck with this friend group ever since.

Stemivate for all Students

While taking an economics class at the end of his first year, Kumar-Lau learned about educational inequalities in the Inland Empire that have resulted in students trailing behind those at other California high schools. That knowledge irked him into action. Kumar-Lau and his friends spent that summer developing Stemivate, a student organization that provides free STEM and health lessons for local elementary, middle, and high school students. Their STEM curriculum, which includes chemistry, physics, health advocacy, and other lessons, has helped many young students, with pre- and post-program test scores increasing by more than 30% in some classes. Kumar-Lau and his team have delivered lessons to over 1,500 students within the Riverside and Jurupa school districts. They’ve also worked with many UCR faculty members to teach hundreds of elementary students on UCR’s campus. Kumar-Lau met with the chancellor’s office and is scheduled to meet with the mayor’s offices of Riverside and Moreno Valley to strategize reaching even more students. And with many of the founding team members moving on after graduation, they’re actively searching for Stemivate’s next leader.

Back to the Bay, but First ...

So, why STEM in the first place? As a young sports enthusiast, it saddened Kumar-Lau that his dad couldn’t play with him due to degenerative disc disease, the result of poor living conditions in his dad’s native India. Kumar-Lau witnessed his dad suffer while doing simple things like walking, sitting, or even lying in bed. These experiences sparked his interest in science and medicine and resulted in him asking a lot of “whys.” His dad finally underwent a spinal fusion procedure, alleviating a lifetime of pain. That transition, from years of wincing to finally smiling, is what Kumar-Lau wants to provide others as an orthopedic surgeon. After completing a summer research internship at UC San Francisco, the Bay Area campus became his top choice for medical school because it would allow him to be closer to family while still experiencing the UC culture. In the meantime, Kumar-Lau will finish his last year as a Highlander ensuring he graduates summa cum laude in spring 2025. And when he needs a break from academics, you’ll find him on the basketball court or loading up on some sushi with his buddies.