Congratulations to Hannah Herbst, who was named to the 2018 Forbes “30 Under 30” list! The list recognizes 600 superstars under age 30 who are making waves in 20 different industries. If her name sounds familiar, it’s because Hannah won the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge and was named “America's Top Young Scientist” in 2015. She went on to participate in President Barack Obama’s sixth annual White House Science Fair in 2016.

Hannah, 17, is a junior at FAU High School and a sophomore at FAU. She is one of just 14 teenagers on the “30 Under 30” list, which features other young inventors, entrepreneurs and entertainers, including musicians Jackie Evancho and Khalid, and TV stars Micah Fowler from “Speechless” and Yara Shahidi from “Blackish.”

Hannah was recognized in the Energy category for inventing a device called BEACON (Bringing Electricity Access to Countries through Ocean Energy), which captures energy from ocean currents. She plans to implement it in developing countries to provide power for water purification systems and medical equipment.

We are incredibly proud of our FAU High students, as well as the faculty and staff who help to shape their young minds. Congratulations again to Hannah. I know this impressive young lady is bound for success, and I look forward to hearing about her future discoveries.