2025 Writing Contest Winners

These winning entries in the 2025 EngineerGirl Writing Contest describe a common object the author would like to make "smart", including what it would do, how it would help people, and what could go wrong.

Elementary School (Grades 3-5)

Olive Monrad

Olive Monrad

5th grade at Indian Springs Middle School (Keller, Texas)

The Backpack of Tomorrow


First Place

Milana Kurpad

Milana Kurpad

3rd grade at Wilmington Montessori School (Wilmington, Delaware)

Smart Plate: Safe and Enjoyable Eating Experience


Second Place

Vrinda Iyengar

Vrinda A. Iyengar

Student at Monticello Academy (California)

Smart Wearable Audio Recorder (SWAR)


Third Place

Kiran B.

Kiran B.

5th grade Homeschool student (Charleston, South Carolina)

My Dumb Tongue


Honorable Mention

Sophia Tong

Sophia Tong

5th grade at Rotherglen Elementary School (Oakville, Ontario, Canada)

The Future of Trash: The Smart Garbage Can


Honorable Mention

Other Finalists

Smart Fridges: Your Schortcut to Yummy Meals by Sophie Cai
3rd grade at St. Thomas School (Redmond, Washington)

Making Grocery Shopping Fun Again with the Smart Shopping Basket by Avni Chouhan
5th grade at Heritage Elementary STEAM Magnet School (Tustin, California)

The Smart Mirror by Josephine Deves
Anzac Park Public School (Wollstonecraft, NSW, Australia)

"Smart" Soccer Ball by Caleb Heaston
3rd grade Homeschool student (Mint Hill, North Carolina)

My Smart Lunchbox, "Nutri-Pal" by Vishita K.
3rd grade at Delhi Public School (Hyderabad, Telangana, India)

Bookshelf for Yourself by Ania L.
5th grade (Menlo Park, California)

Cleaner Toothbrush by Oswa Loudhabachi
5th grade at Lafayette Elementary School (Fredericksburg, Virginia)

Smart Skateparks: An Awesome Invention by Cassie Mason
5th grade at PS 10 Magent School of Math, Science, and Design Technology (Brooklyn, New York)

Healthy Eating: One Plate at a Time by Annie Miller
5th grade at Mayfield Junior School (Pasadena, California)

The Smart Ball: A Win-Win for You and Your Dog by Uma Patel Sauer
5th grade Homeschool student (Georgia)

iCoop Smart Home for Chickens by Melody Sutherland
3rd grade Homeschool student (Harpers Ferry, West Virginia)

Middle School (Grades 6-8)

Kendall Wilkerson

Kendall Wilkerson

8th grade at the Academy of International Studies at Rosemont (Norfolk, Virginia)

The Smart Wardrobe


First Place

Minlu Wang-He

Minlu Wang-He

8th grade at Davidson Academy Online (Auburn, Alabama)

Introducing iFridge


Second Place

Aaila Howard

Aaila Howard

7th grade at Liberty Middle School (Fairfax County, Virginia)

Medicine's BFF: How the Biometrics of Facial Rec and Fingerprints Improve Compliance


Third Place

Aydina Johnson

Aydina Johnson

6th grade at Takoma Park Middle School (Potomac, Maryland)

The SmartDesk: The Desk that Knows You're Brilliant!


Honorable Mention

Other Finalists

MAESTRO: The First Mom- and Music-Teacher Approved Smart Music Stand by Caitlin Cepregi
7th grade at Alfred G. Berner Middle School (Massapequa, New York)

The Feline Happy Paws Smart Microchip by Vivian Dai
7th grade Homeschool student (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

Trash Hero: A Smart Trash to Save the Planet by Kavya Haran
6th grade Countryside School (Champaign, Illinois)

The Smart Wardrobe: A Closet with a Mind of Its Own by Ngoc Hai Lam Nham
7th grade at Tran Dai Nghia School for the Gifted (Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam)

Not Ordinary Humans – Smart Tights for Ballet Training by Bella Patel Sauer
8th grade Homeschool student (Georgia)

The Smart Soil Chip by Victoria Pickett
8th grade at Upper Adams Middle School (Aspers, Pennsylvania)

How to Make Smart Glasses Smarter in Museums by Audrey Wang
Naperville, Illinois

High School (Grades 9-12)

Aleena Shaji

Aleena Shaji

12th grade at Sandra Day O'Connor High School (Helotes, Texas)

The Smart Solution to Hair Care Confusion


First Place

Vivian Foutz

Vivian Foutz

10th grade at Western Albemarle High School (Charlottesville, Virginia)

Luna the AI Fridge: Revolutionizing Food Intelligence, Smart Living, and Global Sustainability


Second Place

Chloe Ko

Chloe Ko

10th grade at Freedom High School (Chantilly, Virginia)

The Smart Playmat: Future of Language Learning


Third Place

Seoyeon Shim

Seoyeon Shim

9th grade at Chadwick International (Incheon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea)

Stepping Forward


Honorable Mention

Stephanie Wang

Stephanie Wang

11th grade at Trinity School (New York, New York)

Bringing the World Together: How AI Can Reinvent the Globe


Honorable Mention

Other Finalists

Smart Girl Glasses: The Future, Framed by Arisha Ahmed
10th grade at Radford College (Canberra, ACT, Australia)

(AI)ding Improper Waste Management with a 'Smart' Bin by Maria Iorizel Tengco
12th grade at South Hill School (Laguna, Philippines)

Brushing the Future by Bomin Kim
9th grade at Chadwick School (Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, South Korea)

Smart Glasses: Engineering a Better Future for the Visually Impaired by Yuji Lee
10th grade at Westview High School (San Diego, California)

Reclaim Your Time: The Smarter Cook by Haley Niu
10th grade at BASIS Scottsdale (Scottsdale, Arizona)

StrideCore Shoes Video Transcript by Avery Updike
10th grade at Cerritos High School (Cerritos, California)