Naperville North High School student Audrey Wang was recognized as a finalist in the EngineerTeen Writing Contest, held by the National Academy of Engineering.
Wang placed second among high school students with her project on how engineers improve everyday life.
A personal prototype
In this year’s contest, “The Art of Engineering,” students were prompted to create a design prototype, illustrate how engineers improve the world, and provide a written reflection on their work.
Wang’s entry, “Engineering: Built for the Moments that Matter,” depicts engineers offering solutions for day-to-day challenges. She built prototypes for a wheelchair with robotic arms and AI-powered smart glasses.
In her reflection, Wang explained how engineers help people feel more capable in situations where they may feel limited or uncertain. She shared how her experience living with her grandparents for the summer inspired her entry, focusing on a solution for limitations with aging.
Wang explained how her prototypes help restore independence for seniors. In her illustration, a man is seated in a wheelchair with robotic arms and wears her smart glasses prototype.
Contest encourages thoughtful expression
The annual contest, hosted by EngineerTeen, encourages students from elementary to high school to use creative expression and written responses to explore engineering concepts.
Each year, participants are asked to design a prototype for an engineering tool, following the prompt, and submit their prototype along with a written reflection. This year, the contest requirements also included using art to further explain how the prototype is used.
Wang’s illustration included her two prototypes as well as two other concepts. In her image, a woman screws in a ceiling-mounted light, which Wang explained would move along a track to match the sun’s position during the day and could be used in classrooms to support mental health and mood regulation.
A man wearing a yellow suit in the drawing demonstrates Wang’s concept of using such a suit to generate and store energy through movement, helping those in natural disasters or other emergencies.
EngineerTeen supports youth
A program of the National Academy of Engineering, EngineerTeen is designed to be inclusive and representative of youth interested in a career in engineering.
The EngineerTeen Writing Contest started in 2003.
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Photo courtesy: EngineerTeen
