STEM Superhero: Meet Anna Heck

Published May 26, 2022

Every day we are in awe of young people chasing their dreams, shooting for the stars, and taking action on the issues that matter most to them. It’s why we are eager to introduce you to Anna Heck –an innovator and visionary - using her passion, skills, and compassion to build a brighter future for us.

At just sixteen years old, Anna is using IoT (Internet of Things) to create the future of smart cities where access to clean water is no longer an issue. Anna is tackling the issues she cares most about, including building a future where we can track, monitor, and clean water from our phones…talk about revolutionary! We had the opportunity to chat with this inspiring innovator. Check out what Anna shared below!

DoSomething: Tell us about yourself! As a young person, what are some things that bring you joy?

Anna: I am sixteen years old and from Fort Wayne, Indiana. One of the things I love the most is to dive into different problems and brainstorm ideas. For me, the process of finding a problem and researching it is really exciting because I like to watch myself go from knowing nothing about something to being able to understand something enough to come up with some potential solutions. This is what has brought me to work in water contamination, the problem I am currently tackling. Outside of finding problems and doing research, I love to spend time in nature. I am a PADI certified SCUBA diver and I love to take walks with my dog.

DoSomething: You’re currently involved with The Knowledge Society (TKS),an innovative program for students 13-17. TKS believes that young people have the potential to solve some of the world’s biggest problems, and equips them with resources, technology, skills, and access to innovate and create solutions. Can you tell us more about TKSand how you got involved?

Anna: I got involved with TKS in July 2020. It was the beginning of quarantine and everything was locked down, so I was looking at different programs to do over the summer when I found TKS. At first, I was almost in disbelief that a program like TKS could exist when I saw their website, but I applied and then got an interview and got accepted into the program! It has truly been a life-changing program!

DoSomething: We were impressed by your medium article about the device you’ve created to measure water quality. Can you tell us more about how this idea came to mind and a bit more about the project?

Anna: I became interested in water contamination after participating in a hackathon in 2020. My team chose to focus on water contaminants in pipes. Through this project, I also learned more about how the water in the area my dad grew up in was contaminated by PFAs, also known as forever chemicals. After the hackathon, I started looking into IoT more in-depth. The cool thing about IoT is that you can use cheap materials or those you find around your house to create solutions. When I decided to work more on IoT, I knew I wanted to do something with water which is what led me to work on water quality. The project itself is pretty simple. I used a TDS sensor, total dissolved solids which is the amount of dissolved solids in your water, pH sensor, and temperature sensor to determine a broad overview of the quality of water. I then connected the sensors to the Arduino, which is a great microcontroller platform for anyone who is interested, and programmed them to be able to determine if the water was good or bad. The goal would be that someone could identify whether their water is safe or not at a broad level using the affordable device.

DoSomething: You got to speak at SXSW this year! That’s a huge deal. How would you describe the experience and what do you hope people take away from what you shared?

Anna: The experience was absolutely insane! The conference itself is super cool with so much to do. I went to several talks on different emerging technologies and mindsets, and I also got to meet a bunch of cool people working in different spaces. There were two main things I was hoping for people to take away from my experience.

First, that water contamination is still a real issue people in the United States are facing today, and the chemicals we use in our everyday products, specifically PFAS, are harmful. Second, that as daunting as a problem might seem, anyone who has the passion to dive into it can start making a meaningful impact using materials and knowledge they already have.

DoSomething: We know that women pursuing STEM often face barriers. As a young woman working in STEM, what are some barriers that you’ve faced and what’s the best piece of advice that you’ve received?

Anna: One of the biggest barriers I have faced as a woman in STEM would be imposter syndrome. I know this is something a lot of other women in STEM struggle with and it can be hard when you’re working on something that has less instant gratification to believe that you are enough. Even now, I still sometimes think that maybe someone else would be more deserving to be in my spot, but what I have come to accept is that we are all on our own journeys.

Another barrier that I have faced is struggling with speaking up and people not listening to what I have to say. I think from a young age a lot of girls and women are taught to be quiet and only interject politely. Sometimes when I am in a meeting working on a project, especially if it is a male-dominated meeting, I am overlooked or interrupted when it comes to sharing. A lot of times there will be someone that will correct the situation and sometimes people don’t even realize they are doing it. What I have learned is that everyone, especially women in STEM, has to advocate for themselves. Share your ideas and speak up when they are overlooked.

The best piece of advice I have received would be to know the worth of your ideas. Many times when I would go to a brainstorming meeting, I used to hold back ideas that I thought were dumb. I would always be frustrated in the end because it seemed like we got nowhere. A lot of my ideas were dumb, but some were not, and understanding that my unique perspective and knowledge are valuable to any idea I propose really helped me get better at brainstorming because I was able to more efficiently communicate.

DoSomething: What advice do you have for other young people, specifically young girls, when it comes to pursuing STEM?

Anna: I would tell any young person wanting to pursue STEM to not be afraid to speak up for themselves . Some of the coolest experiences I have been a part of have been from speaking to people and asking questions. Being able to advocate for yourself is important because if you can do that, you will be able to open doors that may have previously been locked for those under 16 or under 18. The other big thing is believing in yourself and knowing that you are making progress. I would also say take advantage of free resources because those can be incredibly valuable, especially when it comes to learning skills such as coding or learning about different science-heavy topics.

DoSomething: Last year, we ran an environmental justice campaign called “See Us, Hear Us” and we’ve seen you talk about environmental justice as a cause you’re passionate about. How can young people get involved in the causes they’re passionate about?

Anna: I would say the first step someone should take if they’re looking to get involved in an issue they’re passionate about would be to start learning about it. Becoming educated on the problem is really important whether you are interested in building a solution or want to raise awareness about it. Talking to people working in the field is also super beneficial because they can help guide you and provide insights that you can’t get from a Google search. Most people you reach out to through LinkedIn, Twitter, or email are pretty open to answering some questions and having a conversation.

DoSomething: Looking ahead to the future, where do you see yourself in 10 years? What are your goals?

Anna: In ten years, I hope to be doing what I am doing now–finding problems and coming up with solutions…just at a larger scale! As I get older, I want to not only give back, but also encourage individuals, especially young girls, to solve hard problems. I have had such great opportunities to learn and grow these past few years. In these next ten years, I want to continue doing so while also helping other people create and find opportunities and communities where they can do the same.

Can we get a round of applause for Anna? Kudos to Anna for chasing after her dreams, asking the tough questions, and creating unbelievable solutions. Anna shows us all that when you care deeply about something, YOU have the power to make a difference.