Social Good Engineering Magazine: GineersNow Social Innovation GineersNow Engineering Magazine Issue No. 001 | Page 70

Photo Source: The Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge ENGINEER CHICK This Girl Invented Something Awesome For Her Pen Pal Hannah Herbst won a science competi- tion by inventing something, which was inspired by her Ethiopian pen pal. Photo Source: Business Insider While most of us engaged in activities that were appropriate for young teenagers, Hannah Herbst got inspiration from her 9-year-old pen pal in Ethiopa and designed a probe that generates power and fresh water from ocean currents. Now that’s something we normally don’t expect a 15-year-old would do. In this year’s Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, this young girl from Boca Raton won the title of “America’s Young Top Scientist” and received $25,000 USD. The competition was held at 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. For three months, Herbst and other competitors worked with 3M scientists to develop their own inventions and showcase it during the competition itself. Herbst was paired with one of the compa- ny’s corporate scientists, Jeffrey Emslander. All the finalists presented their inventions in front of judges such as Science Channel’s Outra- geous Acts of Science star, Hakeem Oluseyi. Aside from their presen- tation, the finalists also had two 70 challenges: yielding new solutions by using different 3M technologies and building new technology while applying science and technology concepts. Eighth grader Raghav Ganesh won second place in the competition. His invention was for people with Autism Spectrum Dis- order and how it can monitor phys- iological and environmental factors that may trigger their meltdown. Third place went to seventh grader Amulya Garimella, who invented a system that monitors EEG brainwaves and alerts users when he or she is distracted. As for Hannah Herbst, aside from saving some of it for her college funds, she plans to give part of the money she won to her Ethiopian pen pal and the other part of her money will be donated to her school. Isn’t it amazing how these young kids are making a difference in science and technology? Hopeful- ly, more kids would follow in their footsteps.