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In an inspiring turn of events, three students from Arabia Mountain High School transformed a traumatic classroom incident into a groundbreaking technological achievement. Aubrey Allen, Ariel Hibbert, and Jasmine Stamper witnessed their beloved teacher suffer a seizure, a moment that deeply affected them and sparked the creation of Telepsy, a modern app designed to manage epilepsy.
Their project, conceived out of a desire to help and innovate, won Congressman Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr.’s 2023 Congressional App Challenge. Telepsy stood above the competition for its comprehensive features, including seizure tracking, emergency services connectivity, and a hospital locating system with maps, making it an important tool for individuals with epilepsy.
Driven by a desire to help and their collaboration with doctors and other health professionals for over a year, the students developed Telepsy to offer more than just medical assistance; they wanted it to provide true peace of mind.
Ariel remembers the moment that changed everything.
“It was a shocking and emotional time for us as students as it was the first time we had seen our teacher in that state,” she said.
Aubrey agreed and remembered wanting to help after the fateful event.
“This traumatic experience served as our inspiration and motivated us to create an app that can not only assist our teacher but also help others dealing with epilepsy,” said Aubrey.
For Jasmine, the medical follow-up after the seizure provided additional perspective on the app design.
“After the incident, we saw him answer a lot of questions, and that led to the tracking tools being considered and included in our app.”
The competition showcased the talents of over 70 students from seven schools who participated in the contest by creating 23 apps. Ultimately, Aubrey, Ariel, and Jasmine’s motivation, collaborative research, and successful design earned them the top spot.
Congressman Johnson congratulated the participants and praised the contest as a catalyst for encouraging young minds toward careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), emphasizing the importance of such initiatives in fostering innovation and problem-solving skills.
“The App Challenge aims to foster coding and computer science engagement, and I’m honored to celebrate all the students who participated this year, especially given the exponential growth projected in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), occupations,” said Congressman Johnson.
Telepsy is now available on Google Play. This journey represents a triumphant moment for the trio and, more importantly, a meaningful step forward in epilepsy care and management.
This success story is a powerful reminder of how turning difficult moments into a call to action can improve lives.
For more information about Telepsy, hear from the students themselves at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p6_rvNce3c