Two HML students win 20K in Student Innovation contest

Brian Rodriguez and Luis Salazar, both seniors at Hialeah Miami Lakes Senior High School (HML), won the first annual Superintendent’s Student Innovation Challenge in the category of Health. Each student was awarded a $10,000 scholarship to the school of their choice.
Their team, Cognitive Botics, developed an app called Cognitive Learning. This app can be used by employers to identify employees who may be experiencing mental health challenges. Employees complete an online survey and the results are used to predict with 83 percent accuracy those individuals who may need help. Employers can then make contact with these employees to offer wellness programs, medical leave, or remote work options. The logo of their app was “Mentally healthy employee equals productive workforce.”
The young men were assisted by a coach, Ivan Yaeger, CEO of The Yaeger Companies. The Yaeger Companies provides professional development, health care and consulting services. Ted Dinicola and Ray Parris, HML teachers in the Digital Media and Entrepreneurship Magnet, were instrumental in encouraging and helping them prepare for competition. Principal Lisa Garcia and science teacher Raul Hernandez were also influential in preparing the young men for competition
Rodriguez will attend FIU and plans to study computer science. Salazar will attend Miami Dade College and plans to study computer engineering.
Salazar said, “I learned how to be more confident in public speaking while also learning a lot about computers from Brian. I know that mental health is an important issue, and our solution can positively impact employees and employers, so it is a win-win situation.”
“Improving my coding skills and making connections with people in the field will open doors for me, and the scholarship is going to help me graduate debt-free.” said Rodriguez.