FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 20, 2025
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Working in Support of Education (W!se) hosted its 30th Annual Quality of Life INNOVATIONS (QLI) Awards Ceremony on Thursday, June 12 at the LGBT Center in New York City. At the conclusion of a rigorous competition, the event celebrated the outstanding achievements of high school students from all five boroughs who developed innovative, research-based solutions to pressing quality of life issues in their communities. Eight finalist teams presented their projects before a panel of esteemed judges during the competition’s Final Round.
This year’s milestone Ceremony featured moving student presentations, recognition of mentors and educators, and a keynote address by the first ever QLI Scholarship Winner who shared how the program shaped his academic and career path.
This year’s scholarship winners are:
First Place was awarded to Salahaldeen Ibrahim (Staten Island Technical High School) for developing “Peace of Mind,” a low-cost, machine learning tool that models the risk of developing five dementia subtypes using routine medical data. His model achieved between 85% and 92% accuracy when tested on national medical datasets and was piloted in a Mount Sinai lab. Overall, the tool was designed to improve early diagnosis in marginalized communities and reduce caregiver burden.
Second Place went to Tamana Saini, Zoe Sharapov, and Jenny Ye (Forest Hills High School) who created an engaging, multilingual emergency preparedness lesson for NYC 4th and 5th graders. In partnership with EMTs, firefighters, and teachers, the team taught 656 students life-saving skills such as calling 911 and responding to medical emergencies. Post-lesson assessments showed a dramatic increase in students’ confidence and readiness—92.6% felt better prepared.
Third Place was awarded to Angel Mizhquiri, Anisa Akobirova, and Emily Padilla (Forest Hills High School) for launching S.H.E.L.L., a peer tutoring program addressing the academic and social challenges of English Language Learner (ELL) students. With bilingual volunteers providing tutoring during and after school, 100% of participants improved academically, and 80% reported increased classroom confidence. The program was praised by educators and city officials and won first place at the MyImpact Civics Fair.
Additional awards included:
- Gold Ribbon Issue Brief Awards
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- Annarose Grizzle (Brooklyn Technical High School): “Biomimicry in Well Alternatives Implemented in Forest Fire Regions”
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- Elizabeth Vovkanych (James Madison High School): “Effects of Social Media on the Attention Span of Teenagers”
- Creative Idea Award
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- Alina Liu, Michael Manganel, and Ashley Li (Staten Island Technical High School): “Prevent the Growth, Prevent the Spread: An Accessible Solution to Combat Wood Rot”
- Writing Award
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- Ivonne Cruz, Flordalia Gonzalez, and Scarlet Hurtado (Forest Hills High School): “Reading for Recovery: Making Bibliotherapy Available for Psychiatric Patients”
“These extraordinary students are not only using their creativity and passion to identify problems—they’re designing real-world solutions. These have the potential to make a significant impact in their communities and the world at large,” said David Anderson, President and CEO, W!se. “The 30th anniversary of QLI is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when young people are given the tools, support, and opportunity to lead.”
About the Quality of Life INNOVATIONS Program (QLI)
QLI invites high school students to become civically engaged and social entrepreneurs by using applied research to solve real-world problems. Students conduct extensive background and field research on a quality of life issue that they choose, and work with key stakeholders to develop feasible solutions. Participants have the opportunity to submit their research proposals to the QLI competition for the chance to win college scholarships. The program is made possible by the generous support of PWC, the Herb Block Foundation, and The New York Community Trust.
About Working in Support of Education (W!se)
Working in Support of Education (W!se) is a leading New York City-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving economic mobility through programs that foster financial literacy and readiness for college and careers. W!se’s initiatives are grounded in five pillars: relevancy, real-world experiences, partnerships, volunteerism, and evaluation.
Media Contact:
Samantha Spina
Sspina(at)wise-ny.org