Students Earn Honors and Scholarships at AFRL Challenge
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The Waterville Central School District proudly recognizes Jr./Sr. High School students Oscar Yang and Rylan Stanton for earning an impressive third-place finish at the 17th Annual Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Challenge Competition, held April 6–10 at the Griffiss Institute’s Innovare Advancement Center.
With guidance from their mentor Mr. Laurion, a Waterville Jr./Sr. High School science teacher, the team competed against students from surrounding schools to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) pilot using reinforcement learning. Teams were challenged to complete simulated missions as efficiently as possible — putting their STEM skills to the test in a dynamic, real-world setting.
Oscar and Rylan’s strong performance, discipline and ingenuity not only secured a top-three finish, but also earned them official certificates and $1,000 contributions to each of their New York 529 accounts.
This challenge is a great way for students to see how their STEM curriculum can be applied beyond the classroom. Congratulations, Oscar and Rylan, on this impressive achievement!
Photos courtesy of the Griffiss Institute.
