Sara Jones, a senior at Howard University majoring in Computer Science, participated in the 2014 HBCU Innovation Summit Hackathon, where her winning team created a mobile application that encourages curiosity in children. By hovering a camera phone over an object, the user can see what the object is made of. For example, hovering over a watch will display the gears and components that make up the watch.
Jones was selected by mega music producer Pharrell Williams’ From One Hand To AnOTHER’s Foundation, which provides young people with the tools needed to meet their own unique potential. This scholarship will help Jones achieve her goals in a STEAM major (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics). Jones, who was flown to New York City to spend a day with Pharrell, where he surprised her with the $50,000 scholarship, and she tearfully called her father to share the exciting news.