A trombone emoji designed by Aberdeen High School students will soon show up in cellphones worldwide. Here are the details provided by the school district:
Harford County Students’ Emoji Approved for Global Use
Approval Comes Five Years After Proposal Filed
Harford Conty Public Schools (HCPS) is excited to announce an emoji, proposed by students from the Science and Mathematics Academy at Aberdeen High School, has been officially approved for global use in the Unicode library. The approval of the trombone emoji marks the culmination of a five-year wait that started with the submission of the proposal in November 2019.
The proposal was developed by students Brendan Althoff, Brandon Brown, Dillon Capalongo, Gabriel Cardell, William Davis, Evan Demos, Nathaniel Dimick, Kristen Doresy, Ian Leach, David Oguh, Cristopher Pappas and Mark Rosser. The students, who all graduated between 2020 and 2021, were guided in this process by teacher Sarah Ashley. Designed entirely by the students, the trombone emoji addresses what the students saw as a notable gap in musical instrument representation on digital keyboards. Beyond music, the emoji is designed to symbolize humor, such as the iconic “womp womp” sound often associated with playful mistakes.
“We are thrilled to see the creativity and hard work of these former students recognized on a global scale,” said Superintendent Dr. Sean Bulson. “Their achievement highlights the innovative opportunities available to our students and demonstrates their ability to create something with a lasting impact.”
Sarah Ashley, Science and Mathematics Academy Program Specialist, reflected on the milestone. “This approval is the perfect end to a five-year journey filled with hard work and creativity. I couldn’t be prouder of these graduates for taking a concept and turning it into something that will now be used worldwide!”
The trombone emoji will soon be available wherever emoji keyboards are supported, ensuring its place in global digital communication.
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