Alaska high school senior Sara DeVolld was selected as a National STEM Champion and traveled from Alaska to Washington, D.C., to share her message of creativity, light, and self-expression. DeVolld designs LED-embedded clothing intended to combat the health effects of prolonged darkness in her home state.

DeVolld founded a design company called Vintage Train Case, where she fuses modern science and technology with classic art and design. She creates custom gowns embedded with LED lights and mechanical components, including a 6-foot pair of wings that open using a motorized actuator. Some of her creations take over 300 hours to complete. She sews each dress by hand, engineers the lighting, and integrates STEM elements herself using online tutorials and trial-and-error.

Many Alaskans suffer from seasonal affective disorder, and Alaska has the second highest suicide rate in the nation. DeVolld said her work is a direct response to those realities.

"I am a fourth-generation Alaskan," DeVolld said. "I aim to combat that by bringing light and joy to a world that can seem dark and overwhelming."

Beyond her design work, DeVolld teaches ballet to younger students, gives school talks about girls in STEM, and created a program called Dance for Heart that promotes physical and emotional wellness through movement. This summer, she attended a pre-college program at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City to develop her technical skills.

Shona DeVolld described her as a person who connects easily with others. "She's a kind, friendly, engaging person who loves people," Shona DeVolld said.