Niti Jain is a rising senior at Foothill High School in Pleasanton, California, with a strong passion for science, engineering, and developing solutions that create a positive impact. She is interested in exploring the intersection of technology and community service and hopes to pursue aerospace engineering in the future. Through her academic and extracurricular experiences, she has developed a strong interest in using engineering and innovation to address real-world challenges.
Niti contributed to the development of the ReadyPets application through her work with DART Command Central (DARTCC), an organization focused on emergency response solutions. She was drawn to DARTCC’s mission of creating a free and accessible platform to help pet owners prepare for and respond to natural disasters. Living in California, where communities frequently experience challenges such as wildfires and earthquakes, Niti recognized the importance of emergency preparedness tools that can help protect both people and animals during crises.
At DARTCC, Niti helped develop the ReadyPets app, an emergency support platform designed to assist pet guardians during disasters. She contributed to the creation of several core user interfaces, including owner profiles, animal profiles, daily care logs, and urgent care features. These features were designed to help users organize important pet information and quickly access essential resources during emergency situations. She also helped structure the application’s data management system by creating over 60 data fields for organizing stored information related to users, pets, and emergency response needs. Additionally, she contributed to the development of more than 30 contact modules to improve communication and coordination between users and support organizations.
Through this experience, Niti gained valuable exposure to the process of developing technology that serves a humanitarian purpose. She learned how thoughtful design, data organization, and user-focused development are essential when creating applications intended for use during high-stress situations. Her work allowed her to understand how engineering solutions can extend beyond technical functionality and directly support communities in need.
During her time at DARTCC, Niti had the opportunity to work alongside DART Command Central’s Executive Director, Deb Shelby, and contribute to an initiative with a meaningful social impact. She has been able to witness the growth of the ReadyPets platform, including the development of partnerships across FEMA regions, and has gained experience collaborating on a project focused on improving emergency preparedness for pet owners nationwide.
Outside of DARTCC, Niti is dedicated to community service and expanding access to STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) education. She founded STEM Dost, a nonprofit initiative that provides hands-on STEM learning opportunities to students in underserved communities in India. Through her outreach efforts, she works to make STEM education more accessible for students who have traditionally experienced lecture-based learning environments.
Niti’s experience with ReadyPets has strengthened her interest in engineering and demonstrated how technology can be used as a tool for positive change. Her work reflects her commitment to combining technical skills, innovation, and service to create solutions that benefit communities around the world.