What does Abby Invent?

At Faithful Friends, we are proud to promote and highlight Black History Month every February. Through our faith in Jesus, we value the inherent value and uniqueness of each person in our mentoring program and delight in each person’s history as we build new and unique bridges of understanding.

The African American contribution to the history and progress of this city, specifically in development of mentoring opportunities for young people, is widespread. There are numerous black men and women who have founded and led (and continue to lead) incredible churches and movements in our city, serving as mentors and role models for future generations.

This month we want to highlight the story of Arlyne Simon, an engineer and scientist who works locally for Intel in Hillsboro. Simon turned her love of nature as a child towards becoming a bioengineer and inventor today. As a college student, she invented a blood test to detect when a cancer patient is rejecting a bone marrow transplant—a project for which she was issued her first patent in 2011. Today she maneuvers roles as a mentor and speaker. As an ambassador in the If/Then program, she’s creating a set of STEM trading cards for kids to learn about real-life women scientists. She also has a highly successful book series, ABBY INVENTS, which follows a young black girl who solves everyday challenges with science. As a black woman in science, she is opening doors and opportunities in science for a whole new generation. Many of our mentors and mentees have been inspired from her books.

Join us as we celebrate those from the African American community who have paved the way in the past and those who continue to mentor young people and serve as role models for the next generation.

So what does Abby Invent? You’ll have to see for yourself.