April 17, 2016
A local teen brought his invention to the nation's capital to show the president at the annual White House Science Fair on Wednesday.
Shemar Coombs, a 19-year-old student from Northwest Philadelphia, joined more than 100 of the nation's top science, technology, engineering and math students at the event.
“I was just so excited,” Coombs told the Roxborough Review. “I am really proud to be here. I was glad to be among the students asked to be on stage when President Obama gave the speech before those in attendance at the fair. He also came over to speak to me in the East Garden, and I got a chance to take a picture with him on the grounds. This has just been a memorable experience.”
Coombs' invention aims to make tangled headphone cords a thing of the past. Using computer-aided design software and a 3D printer, he created a cellphone case with a built-in groove that keeps headphones tangle-free.
His device is called "Rap-It-Up," which Coombs also submitted in the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship National Challenge in 2015.
Coombs told the White House that he plans to donate a portion of the profits from his business to developing countries.
This year's event fair was the sixth annual science fair hosted by President Barack Obama.
