Honor Chaminade STEM Winners

Senate Resolution No. 531 BY: Senator MARTINS CONGRATULATING students from Chaminade High School upon the occasion of achieving the Top Prize at The Feinstein Institutes For Medical Research's 13th Annual "Medical Marvels" STEM research competition WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to commend and pay tribute to those young people who, by achieving outstanding success in educational competition, have inspired and brought pride to our majestic Empire State; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to congratulate students from Chaminade High School upon the occasion of achieving the Top Prize at The Feinstein Institutes For Medical Research's 13th Annual "Medical Marvels" STEM research competition on Friday, February 28, 2025; and WHEREAS, More than 180 freshmen and sophomores from Long Island and New York City entered the 13th Annual "Medical Marvels" STEM research competition by submitting research papers and presentations focused on ways to better educate others on the effects of social media use and mental health; this esteemed research competition was hosted by Northwell Health's The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and Career Services; and WHEREAS, For this year's competition, students from 33 schools were tasked with making recommendations for a hypothetical scenario in which a local councilman seeks solutions to lessen the negative impact of social media on adolescent mental health; the goal is to decrease social media usage and improve mental health by promoting in-person social interactions and educating others about the negative effects of excessive screen time; and WHEREAS, The teams demonstrated exceptional scientific rigor by submitting a research paper addressing key considerations, including proposed solutions and methods for measuring success, as well as created and presented scientific posters which detailed their proposals and findings; and WHEREAS, A distinguished panel of scientists, clinicians, and healthcare administrators evaluated the submissions and presentations using a standardized five-point scoring rubric, assessing qualities such as innovation, clarity, methodological approach, and effectiveness in measuring success; and WHEREAS, The winning students from Chaminade High School, Christopher Covelli, Andrew Dargento, Luke Krinsky, Ty Miranda, and Mateo Solis, proposed a comprehensive plan that addresses the negative mental health effects of excessive social media use among adolescents through community engagement, an app called "MediaMindful," and other educational initiatives; and WHEREAS, The conceptual app, "MediaMindful," was designed by the winning team to combat social media with an alternative version of social media of their own design; the app which they refer to as "buddy bot" was coded by team member Christopher Covelli who has been coding since age 10; and WHEREAS, The designed app is a system which operates like common messaging technology and can identify over 400 keywords which, in turn, trigger built-in responses, ultimately helping to target negative social media-related mental health concerns, offering helpful suggestions, words of affirmation, and various other positive replies; and WHEREAS, These five students, in an impressive display of hard work, scientific research, teamwork, and innovation, conquered the challenge laid before them and have undoubtedly left their mark on the field of technological research for the betterment of their fellow citizens and youth, and deserve to be commended and applauded by all residents of this great State; and WHEREAS, With their imbued sense of civic duty and passionate commitment to the betterment of others, these five students, Christopher Covelli, Andrew Dargento, Luke Krinsky, Ty Miranda, and Mateo Solis, exemplify the fullest development of the potential inherent in our most precious resource--our youth; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to congratulate students from Chaminade High School upon the occasion of achieving the Top Prize at The Feinstein Institutes For Medical Research's 13th Annual "Medical Marvels" STEM research competition; and be it further RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Christopher Covelli, Andrew Dargento, Luke Krinsky, Ty Miranda, and Mateo Solis.