Editor’s Note: Welcome to STEM Student of the Week. Every so often, ECN features a student working on a degree (of any level) in engineering or with a particular interest in engineering as part of our STEM initiative. If you know a student who would like to be featured, email me at kasey.panetta@advantagemedia.com.
Meet Annie Torre a homeschooler involved with FIRST.
ECN: Hi Annie, what got you interested in STEM?
Annie: My brother’s FIRST LEGO League team needed a replacement and I stepped up not knowing what I was really getting into. I liked it so much I’ve been in FIRST LEGO League now for two years.
ECN: Tell me about what you’re working on currently.
Annie:This entire year I have been working on the Insta-Braille with my team, The Braille Boys & Annie. We currently have a prototype of our invention at the Center for the Visually Impaired in Atlanta, Georgia. Our team has a provisional patent on our invention and are working on a full utility patent now.
ECN: What was your first introduction into the world of STEM?
Annie: I was born into a family of engineers. With three older brothers, my dad, grandfather and uncles all pursuing engineering careers, STEM has always been around our house. When I was 8, my dad build a robotic moving wall in our basement. Just last week, my dad showed us how to build a Jacobs ladder out of a transformer.
ECN: Was this always a dream of yours?
Annie:I never thought about Braille or the vision impaired until I became part of the FIRST LEGO League team, Braille Boys & Annie, this year. Being on the team gave me a chance to learn teamwork, leadership, public speaking and STEM.
ECN: What’s your dream job?
Annie: A marine biologist.
ECN: What’s the most challenging part about your field?
Annie: Finding companies who will help us produce the Insta-Braille and get it into the hands of children who are visually impaired.
ECN: What would you say to someone in middle school considering a career in STEM?
Annie:Get on a FIRST robotics team. FIRST robotics allows you to experience STEM in a fun and exciting way.
ECN: What makes STEM a great career?
Annie: You get to invent the cool things that people use every day.
ECN: Who do you look up to as a role model?
Annie:I look up to my older siblings, Josh and Gabrielle. From my sister, I’ve learned to treat everyone with kindness no matter how annoying they are. From my brother, who was my robotics coach, I’ve learned how to be a leader who leads by example and service to others.
ECN: Tell me about the FIRST LEGO League challenge you were just involved in?
Annie:The FIRST LEGO League challenge this year was World Class. My team had to answer this question, “How can we improve the way people learn ______?” After brainstorming, we decided we wanted to teach people Braille. Our invention, the Insta-Braille, allows students to learn Braille independently. My team won $5,000 as part of the FIRST LEGO League Global Innovation Award. We plan to use this money to buy a 3D printer to make more prototypes of the Insta-Braille.
ECN: How has your interest in STEM allowed you to be involved in something you otherwise wouldn’t have done?
Annie: Because of the Braille Boys & Annie, I have been exposed to STEM in ways I would have never guessed. I’ve learned about 3D printed, circuit boards, microcontrollers, injection molding and lots of other cool STEM concepts.
ECN: Why is it so important for girls specifically to be involved in STEM? What are the challenges?
Annie: Girls should be involved in STEM so they can see the inner workings of the things they use every day. When they know how these things work, they can take better care of them and even learn how to fix them.
ECN: Thanks Annie!
