Pine Crest Upper School students earn Florida state champion title in Presidential AI Challenge with innovative project

Pine Crest, Florida – A group of students from Pine Crest School has taken a major step onto the national stage after earning top honors in a competition that blends technology with real-world impact. Their achievement, while rooted in the classroom, reaches far beyond it—touching on health, innovation, and the growing influence of artificial intelligence in everyday life.

The team, known as HeadStart, has been named Florida State Champion in the Presidential AI Challenge, a recognition that places them among the most promising young innovators in the country. With this win, they now move forward to the regional round, carrying the possibility of advancing even further—to the national finals set to take place in Washington, D.C.

What makes their accomplishment stand out is not just the title, but the scale of the competition. More than 2,500 submissions from across the United States were evaluated, each presenting a unique approach to applying artificial intelligence in meaningful ways. Against that crowded and competitive field, the Pine Crest students distinguished themselves with a project that tackles a deeply personal and often unpredictable health issue—migraines.

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Their concept, called “HeadStart,” centers on anticipation rather than reaction. Instead of focusing on treatment after symptoms begin, the team developed a system designed to detect early warning signs before a migraine fully develops. Using machine learning and predictive modeling, the project analyzes physiological data captured through photoplethysmography, or PPG signals. These signals, commonly used in wearable technology, measure changes in blood flow and provide insights into heart rate and other bodily patterns.

By tracking subtle shifts in these indicators, the team’s wearable device aims to recognize patterns linked to migraine onset. The idea is simple in theory but complex in execution—identify the body’s quiet signals before the pain arrives. For individuals who experience migraines, often with little warning, such a tool could offer a new level of control and preparedness.

Behind the technical details lies a broader story of curiosity and persistence. The students—Alejandro Forner Ibanez, Georgia Kolettis, Alexa Marino, and Edward Wang—combined research, coding, and experimentation to bring their idea to life. Their work reflects not only technical skill, but also a willingness to explore how emerging technologies can address real human challenges.

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The Presidential AI Challenge itself is designed to encourage exactly this kind of thinking. It brings together students interested in artificial intelligence, data science, and innovation, asking them to go beyond theory and into application. Projects are judged not just on complexity, but on relevance—how well they connect technology to real-world needs.

For Pine Crest, the recognition highlights the strength of its academic environment, where students are encouraged to experiment and think independently. The success of Team HeadStart suggests that such an approach is paying off, producing work that can stand alongside some of the best student-led projects in the nation.

Now, with the state title secured, the focus shifts to what comes next. The regional competition will present a new challenge, with higher stakes and tougher competition. Beyond that lies the possibility of reaching the national finals, where the brightest ideas from across the country will converge.

For these students, the journey is still unfolding. Yet their project has already made a statement—about the power of young minds, the potential of artificial intelligence, and the impact that can emerge when innovation is guided by purpose.