Scottish schoolgirl hailed as a ‘shining example’ after being named in Time’s inaugural Girls of the Year list

A Scottish teenager has been named in Time Magazine’s first ever Girls of the Year list after designing a solar-powered blanket aiming to help people experiencing homelessness.

Rebecca Young, aged 13 and a student at Kelvinside Academy in Glasgow, was included in Time’s list of ten young women, recognising their extraordinary achievements.

Young previously attracted praise aged just 11 after beating more than 70,000 UK entrants in the UK Primary Engineer competition for the invention, which features a heated blanket built into a backpack and powered by solar panels.

The idea was developed into a prototype which later won the prestigious MacRobert awards and was eventually turned into a working model by engineering company Thales. Young’s design is now being trialled by a Scottish charity supporting homelessness in Chicago.

“I was stunned when I found out. I can’t believe I am one of the first Time Girls of the Year. It’s simply incredible,” Young says. “To be named alongside nine other girls who have achieved so much is one of the most special experiences of my life.

“In my wildest dreams I’d never imagined being in this position when I came up with the design. I’m most proud of how the idea is now helping homeless people in real life – which was my inspiration all along – and I hope this can help shine a brighter light on an issue we should all care deeply about.”

‘A shining example’

To celebrate Young’s inclusion in Time’s list, Lego, which sponsored the list, has created a model in her image, depicting her as both an engineer and a musician, as she also plays the drums in an all-female band, The Girlz. 

“I think there’s a really important message for any young person to look at what you’re interested in and follow your dreams. If you see a problem you think you can fix or contribute to, you can do something about it. And whatever you do, you should always follow your own path to what you want to achieve,” Young adds.

Daniel Wyatt, Rector at Kelvinside Academy, comments: “Rebecca is a shining example of how a caring young person can see a problem in the world and do something about it. To see her invention brought to life and helping people in the real world is something very special indeed.

“She is also a role model for any young person who wants to follow their own path in life. It’d be very easy to be pigeonholed as a budding engineer, but she also has other talents she wants to pursue. That’s what Kelvinside is all about – providing opportunities and allowing our young people to carve out their own journey. Well done Rebecca, you have done yourself, your family and Kelvinside proud.”