Stanton College Preparatory School students Alan Alwakeel and Nicole Jiang have made their mark on the state, national, and international competitive scenes with their exceptional science and history fair projects, demonstrating a profound commitment and expertise in their respective fields. In the glow of their victories, Duval County Public Schools reported on the students’ groundbreaking work and journey to the top.
Jiang, with a project born from a mandatory assignment that grew into a deeply personal endeavor, while Alwakeel has nurtured a dream since seventh grade to compete internationally, as he finally did, bringing the power of artificial intelligence to fight cancer “From the moment I competed in my first science fair in seventh grade, I’ve dreamed of competing at the International Science and Engineering Fair,” Alwakeel told the Duval County Public Schools; Jiang reflected on her own journey, saying, “It started out as a mandatory project, then it became a part of me.”
Alwakeel's ambitious science fair project entitled “The Virtual Cell: Revolutionizing Personalized Cancer Treatment Through AI-Powered Simulation,” garnered him top honors as he won first place in the category of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at the Florida State Science and Engineering Fair, as well as the prestigious Grand Award, which came with an automatic spot at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) representing Florida. Once at ISEF, he earned the second Grand Award in the same category, according to the same interview with Team Duval News, “Creating something that’s beneficial to the world and can really make a difference is incredibly motivating,” he said, “This win has inspired me to keep going," as per the Duval County Public Schools.
Under the guidance of experienced mentors at Mayo’s SPARK (Science Program for the Advancement of Research Knowledge) Program, he was able to transform his idea of blending AI with medicine into reality, leading not only to recognition but also to the potential for real-world impact Alwakeel is determined to explore further possibilities in cancer research and, with the continued support of his SPARK mentors Dr. John Copland and Dr. Cui Tao, a patent for The Virtual Cell is being filed with Mayo, “Both Dr. Copland and Dr. Tao have been extremely supportive,” he said to Duval County Public Schools, “to the point where we are filing a patent on The Virtual Cell with Mayo.”
With such promising young minds driving innovation and excellence, the community watches with anticipation and pride as Alwakeel and Jiang continue to forge paths of influence and discovery, turning mandatory tasks into a dedication that transcends the traditional confines of a classroom.
