Samhitha Thatavarthy, an exceptional senior, has earned widespread admiration at HHS with her thoughtful creation, “Simple Reads.” Through her senior project, she has made a profound impact, benefiting a multitude of individuals.

Samhitha’s journey with “Simple Reads” began with a simple childhood desire: the ability to annotate books and seamlessly transfer those notes to another platform. As Samhitha progressed through her high school years, she keenly observed the struggles her peers faced while taking notes from websites and the need to switch between multiple platforms. This personal conflict and the strong desire to alleviate these challenges became the driving force behind “Simple Reads.”

Key Features and Functions:

“Simple Reads” is a testament to Samhitha’s innovative thinking. It features two pivotal functions to enhance the reading and note-taking experience. The first is a “blur and zoom” function, allowing users to customize the number of lines displayed per paragraph and adjust text size according to their preferences. The second, and perhaps the most revolutionary feature, is the note-taking capability. Users can take notes on any website, with the extension automatically scrolling back to the original location. What’s more, all notes are saved via a website link to the user’s Google document and are conveniently stored on the website for future reference.

Wide-Reaching Impact:

“Simple Reads” isn’t limited to a specific audience; it caters to students and individuals of all ages in need of reading assistance. With hundreds of users already benefiting from this innovation, Samhitha has successfully introduced the extension to HHS faculty. The project is already registered for use across their entire school district, and Samhitha envisions it reaching schools worldwide.

Acknowledging Support and Gratitude:

Samhitha expresses her heartfelt appreciation for the invaluable support provided by Mr. MacLeod, the technology director, Mr. Stone, senior project teacher, Ms. Gorman, for the crucial technology approvals, Ms. Andrews, school guidance counselor and Mr. List, the Principal of HHS, without whom this project wouldn’t have been possible.

Samhitha Thatavarthy’s dedication, innovation, and commitment to improving education and accessibility. “Simple Reads” is a testament to the power of a young mind driven by a desire to create tools that will have a profound impact, and we eagerly anticipate its continued growth and influence in the years to come.

Download Simple Reads at simplereads.org!