WINTER PARK, Fla. – Arabella Romsa, a 12-year-old inventor from Winter Park who came up with the idea for a device to help students with hearing disabilities, just returned from meeting other young inventors in Austria.
Romsa won a national invention contest that earned her a trip to MED-EL headquarters in Innsbruck, Austria, where she met other creative children from around the world.
“The trip was honestly something I’ll never forget,” Romsa said. “I got to meet kids from all over the world and see the place where my implant was made, which was just a heartwarming experience.”
Romsa came up with an idea that impressed judges across the country: A special USB drive that plugs into cochlear implants. The device would take what teachers say in class and turn it into written notes that students can look at later.
She laughs about her simple drawing style, saying, “Yes, I drew stick figures, please don’t judge me.”
But her creative idea stood out from all the other entries.
While in Austria, Romsa became friends with other young inventors, including Aurora, of Italy, and Allen, of China. They spent time sharing ideas about making life easier for people with hearing challenges.
Romsa even got to meet the MED-EL engineer who designed her own cochlear implant.
“It was so cool to meet the person who gave me the gift of hearing and just to meet her in real life is an experience I never thought I would get,” she said.
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The trip helped Romsa figure out what she wants to do when she grows up. After seeing how much hearing technology can help people, she now wants to become an audiologist.
Her mom, Sarah Romsa, sees how passionate her daughter is about helping others.
“She really wants to serve a wider community. She sees a need because of her own needs, so she really makes it a point to go out there and help others,” she said.
Romsa wants to help kids the same way her own audiologist has helped her.
“She helps me so many times whenever I need help, and I just want to do that for other kids as well,” she explained.
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