Earlier this month, sophomore Diana Voronin was recognized at the White House Science Fair, the last of President Barack Obama’s administration. Voronin was invited for her invention, MotivateMe.

“MotivateMe is a smart wristband that uses the accelerometer and processing power onboard the Intel Curie module to analyze motion data from stroke patients and provide feedback to motivate them to do their exercises more often,” Voronin said of her invention. “It was inspired by my grandfather, who, like many stroke patients, had a tough time finding the motivation to do his rehabilitation exercises.”

At the White House, Voronin was able to meet many prominent figures in our government and within the science field. In fact, Diana was even able to have a brief conversation with President Obama, who later gave a powerful speech directed towards the fair’s participants.

Among the other figures Voronin met were Bill Nye, Adam Savage, Dean Kamen, and astronaut Cady Coleman.

At the fair itself, Voronin exhibited her creation to prominent figures in the science industry, along with other exhibitors.

“When I wasn’t exhibiting my project or touring a little bit of Washington, D.C. with my family, I got to walk around and talk to some of the other students and learn about their projects,” Voronin said. “ A lot of them are working on such interesting and impactful projects, so I came back inspired to work even harder on my own project.”

However, being invited to showcase an invention at the White House Science Fair was not an easy task. One life changing event that helped catapult Voronin to the White House was her involvement in the television show “America’s Greatest Makers.”

Voronin was the youngest competitor on the show. The show was set in Los Angeles, where contestants like Voronin pitched their product to a group of esteemed judges. As the show progresses, the field will be cut down, and the ultimate winner will take home a prize of one million dollars.

Even though the show was a competition, Diana found the atmosphere to be very positive, with friendly contestants that made the experience seem far from competitive.

“I’m so grateful to Intel, the Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, and Mark Burnett for allowing me to be on the show,” Voronin said.

While Diana is considering growing MotivateMe into a company in the future, she is currently focused on performing to her greatest potential in school.

“Making gives anyone the ability to solve a problem that he/she sees in the world, and that is powerful,” Voronin said.