Five students from Lithia Springs High School's STEM magnet program won the People's Choice
Award at The Next IT Girls FashionTech Hackathon after designing a wearable wellness device to support women's safety and empowerment.
Team Athena—Savannah Brooks, Kailey 'Bri' Derricott, Victoria Lee, Daniella Loh and Maria Okwumabua—advanced as finalists with their visionary prototype: a Pandora-style wearable wellness watchlet/bracelet that blends fashion and function. Each team member received a MacBook and a luxury gift bag from Saks Fifth Avenue.
"This hackathon didn't just challenge them to think like engineers, it gave them a platform to be seen, heard and celebrated in a field where diverse perspectives are needed more than ever," said Dr. Nicole Oliver-Wynn, STEM coordinator at Lithia Springs High. "Team Athena's success is a powerful reminder that when young women are given access, mentorship and opportunity, they rise, and they lead."
Marcus Knighton, a Lithia Springs High STEM magnet alumnus and member of the school's STEM Advisory Committee who now works with Accenture, partnered with the school to open the door for students to compete in the high-level STEM event.
Three teams from Lithia Springs High advanced to the second round, where they built working prototypes and presented their designs to judges at Accenture's offices. Team Athena emerged as finalists and competed in the final round on Dec. 4.
During the hackathon, students used 3D fashion software, e-textiles, sensors, coding platforms
and digital prototyping tools, bringing together what they've been learning across Biomedical Science, Computer Science, Engineering and Entrepreneurship.
Oliver-Wynn called it "a real demonstration of how creativity and STEM blend seamlessly in our magnet program."
The school hopes to replicate the experience next semester for middle school students across Douglas County, giving them early exposure to how interdisciplinary STEM learning works in real-world, creative pathways.