Our Student Team
Project Scam Shield was born from a simple realization: scammers are increasingly targeting seniors. We are three high school students who wanted to make a positive impact in our community by providing free workshops and resources to help seniors stay safe and confident in the digital world.
Our Founders
Stella Watkins
I am one of the co-creators of Project Scam Shield, a student-led outreach program that my teammates and I built to protect the seniors in our community from the growing number of scams. This cause is personal to me because my grandmother was a victim of an online scam. Seeing how this impacted her influenced me to help prevent others from going through something similar. I love meeting and connecting with new people, so I help lead the workshops and work one-on-one with the participants. My goal is to make sure each senior leaves feeling confident and informed.
Zein Kawakibi
I am one of the co-creators of Project Scam Shield. Our goal is to help older adults stay safe online. This project is important for me because I have seen firsthand how my own grandparents struggle with technology, and it makes me think about how many others in their age group go through the same thing with no guidance. Growing up, internet safety was one of the main things I was taught. My grandparents, however, did not have the same opportunity. They did not grow up with the internet and were never taught how to navigate the digital world safely. I don't think it's fair that many older adults are expected to use technology every day without having received the same guidance that younger generations have. Through Project Scam Shield, we hope to help seniors better understand internet safety.
Lorelei Watkins
As a co-creator of Project Scam Shield, I wanted to make a meaningful impact on our community. I have always been very close to my grandparents. Even though they live in different states, I visit them every summer, and they come to see us whenever they can. My grandparents have never missed an event that was special to me, and this project is a way for me to give back to people like them. Too often, seniors are targeted simply because they are unfamiliar with new technology. Through this project, I aim to not only give them practical tools to protect themselves, but also the confidence to know they are not alone. Being able to help someone avoid a scam or feel more secure is what makes this project so rewarding to me.