Hillsborough High School freshman Diana Nguyen Voronin was one of 39 students at the White House.
WASHINGTON -- After her grandfather suffered a stroke, Diana Nguyen Voronin set about trying to invent a device to help victims do the therapy needed for recovery.
Her solution was a wrist-worn device that can tell the wearer whether he or she is properly doing the rehabilitation exercises. On Wednesday, the 15-year-old Hillsborough High School freshman got to show off her invention at the annual White House science fair.
She set up her exhibit adjacent to the room where President Barack Obama welcomed the participants and guests, and explained her device over and over again to anyone who asked, including John Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
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That was after she met the president and shook his hand.
"It's pretty amazing," she said afterwards.
Diana's invention has been filmed by the TBS program "America's Greatest Makers," which brought the device to the attention the White House. An invitation soon followed. Others entered competitions sponsored by companies such as Google, Samsung and Intel.
Obama created the annual science fair soon after taking office, explaining, "If you win the NCAA championship, you come to the White House. Well, if you're a young person and you've produced the best experiment or design, the best hardware or software, you ought to be recognized for that achievement, too. Scientists and engineers ought to stand side by side with athletes and entertainers as role models, and here at the White House we're going to lead by example. We're going to show young people how cool science can be."
After touring some of the exhibits at his sixth and final event, he told a packed East Room that he hoped such programs would encourage students to go into scientific careers.
"All of you are showing the rest of us that it's never too early in life to make a difference," Obama said. "You remind us that, together, through science, we can tackle some of the biggest challenges that we face."
Not that Diana needed any encouragement. She grew up in a scientific home. Her father, Gregory, is a veterinarian with an interest in electronics; her mother, Kimberly, is a scientist, and she herself has been fascinated by the power of computers to process huge amounts of data.
As for her invention, the goal is to encourage stroke victims to follow their assigned rehabilitation regiment. A therapist programs the routine, and then the stroke victim can use the device to make sure he or she is doing the exercises properly, watching the improvement day by day. The name of the invention: Motivate Me.
Other projects on display included robots, a 3D printer, a solar car, and an inexpensive and quick way to detect the ebola virus.
"It's inspirational to see these other kids," she said. "It's inspired me to work even harder."
Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook