At seventeen, most teenagers are choosing dresses to wear to the prom, getting ready for college, and creating programs to diagnose breast cancer… Oh, not that last one? I thought not. Well, Brittany Wenger is the exception. When her cousin was diagnosed with breast cancer, she decided that she would do something to help. And by something, I do not mean a card, a cake, or a cutesy balloon bouquet (no disrespect to cutesy balloon bouquets; they’re great). Of course not. If that were all she did, I probably wouldn’t be writing this in the first place. No, Brittany Wenger began working to fight the actual disease.

Wenger started researching, and she learned about Fine Needle Aspirates, an easy but inconsistent breast cancer test. It’s actually so inconsistent that its usage is rare. However, she became increasingly interested in them and was still able to use them in her computer program. Her goal was to create a test that would use the Fine Needle accurately, allowing for the disease to be caught and dealt with sooner and helping many to avoid its effects altogether. So far, her program has been quite successful, identifying 99 percent of malignant tumors correctly. Her program, Cloud4Cancer, is now being used in hospitals.

Wenger’s work has not gone unnoticed. She won the 2012 Google Science Fair and was named one of TIME Magazines’ 30 under 30. She has appeared on the program TED, a $50,000 scholarship was awarded to her, and she has received support from many, including the President of the United States. How many of us, at seventeen, can claim those accomplishments? It’s okay, my hand isn’t raised either. Brittany, you’re way cooler than most of us will ever be, and we thank you for it.