For most students, summer vacation is a relief from the daily school grind, a time to catch up on sleep, take family vacations or maybe even work a part-time job. But for Peachtree Ridge High School seniors Nile Ravenell and Shaza Mehdi, it was the precious time they needed to create the project they plan to submit into the upcoming Gwinnett Regional Science, Engineering and Innovation Fair.

Putting in a focused 40 hours per week all summer won the two 17-year-olds the attention of businesses near and far, long before the science fair, set for Feb. 23 at the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth, is even scheduled to take place.

Their project, an app they named PlantMD, helps diagnose diseases in common garden fruit and vegetable plants.