Brooklyn teen who helped produce PPE during pandemic makes Vogue’s ’21 Under 21’ list

A Brooklyn teen has made Vogue's "21 under 21 list" this year because of her innovation helping others during this pandemic.

News 12 Staff

Dec 2, 2020, 12:37 PM

Updated 1,470 days ago

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A Brooklyn teen has made Vogue's "21 under 21 list" this year because of her innovation helping others during this pandemic.
19-year-old Karina Popovich might call her station small, but what she has accomplished isn’t -- making PPE for thousands.
At the start of the pandemic, the Sheepshead Bay teen made a few for nurses at Mount Sinai Brooklyn Hospital.
"It was something that they actually desperately needed because literally the same night i got pictures from the whole floor thanking me."
Seeing the impact, she expanded, founding her organization Makers for COVID-19.
She connected with 330 people around the country with access to a 3D printer and taught them to make the PPE. Now they’ve donated more than 82,000 pieces.
The Brooklyn Tech alum says her interest in 3D printing grew at the school and now she's sharing her passion.
"It feels like I’ve achieved my biggest goal which is making sure that anyone can do this and the fact that you know a 13 to 70-year-old can make them is even more fulfilling,” says Popovich.
Now recognized in Teen Vogue's 21 Under 21 list of "Girls and Femmes Building a Better Future" for 2020, it's something she's dreamed of since she was 12 years old.
"I finally got onto this list. it was a dream come true not just in that way but also there are so many other girls that are looking at that,” says Popovich.
She says inspiring other girls is something she strives for by working as an ambassador for the If/Then Initiative since last year, which works to inspire young women to pursue STEM careers.