Naya Ellis, a 14-year-old freshman at John F. Kennedy High School in New Orleans has won the National STEM Challenge for her ingenious invention: a watch that detects indicators of strokes in adults. Naya’s innovations have been inspired by her love of science and desire to serve people in the medical industry since she was a child.
Naya’s path began with a personal experience: she vividly recalls caring for her mother during her struggle with breast cancer when she was just seven. Her early exposure to healthcare piqued her interest in science and inspired her to create solutions to real-world challenges. Inspired by programs like STEM NOLA, which provides hands-on STEM projects to K-12 kids, Naya jumped at the chance to join the organization’s STEM fellowship.
Despite signing up for the fellowship to keep herself busy, Naya discovered an unexpected avenue to creativity. Naya first planned to develop a watch to detect seizures while attending STEM Saturday, a free program that allows youngsters to express their ideas. However, after witnessing her grandmother have a stroke, she turned her focus to developing WingItt, a watch designed exclusively for stroke detection.WingItt detects nerve impulses and heartbeats to discover internal stroke symptoms early on. Naya’s commitment to affordability means that older folks can receive health-monitoring equipment that is otherwise out of reach. Her dedication to improving the prototype demonstrates her desire to have a concrete impact on stroke diagnosis.
Naya’s performance in the National STEM Challenge, which saw her chosen as one of 126 champions from over 2,500 entrants countrywide, demonstrates her resourcefulness and commitment to scientific discovery. The forthcoming festival in Washington, D.C., will allow Naya to present WingItt among other revolutionary ideas.
Reflecting on her career, Naya urges younger children to pursue STEM possibilities, noting the transformative experiences she had through programs like STEM NOLA. In the future, Naya hopes to work as an obstetrician-gynecologist, motivated by her desire to bring new life into the world and empower women via healthcare.
Naya Ellis’ tale shows STEM education’s revolutionary impact in developing young entrepreneurs and promoting positive social change. With her watch ready to revolutionize stroke detection, Naya’s story exemplifies the limitless possibilities that emerge when passion meets purpose in the realm of science and technology.
About The Author
