Mahwah Student Honored For Helping Premature Babies

MAHWAH, NJ — A local teenager was recently honored for her work helping premature babies.

Brianna Stoohs won first place in her division in the state and international Future Problem Solving competition at the University of Wisconsin. Stoohs created Project Preemie, a nonprofit, problem-solving project that works to help premature babies who are being cared for in hospitals.

Stoohs, a senior at Mahwah High School, creates care packages for the babies and their families. She has received more than $1,000, including money from her school's Student Government Association. Stoohs has already delivered several care packages to Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, New York.

She also participated in Project P.E.A.C.E. at Mahwah High School, which helped adolescents deal with stress. She took on a two-year assignment called "Planting Seeds," which helped install a greenhouse at the school.

Stoohs will attend the University of South Carolina in the fall. She plans on majoring in international business and making Project Preemie a full nonprofit organization.

Email daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Photo: Brianna Stoohs with her Project Preemie presentation at the Future Problem Solving competition. (Courtesy of Deborah Padilla)