Mentoring Young Scientists as they ‘Solve for Tomorrow’

Yolanda Vicente was happy to talk about the extraordinary young scientists she’s mentoring in the 2020 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM contest, which challenges public school 6^th to 12^th graders to solve a pressing problem in their community using science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

The Solve for Tomorrow STEM contest team with Samsung employee mentor Yolanda Vicente (center, back row) from Belleville High School, a New Jersey state winner in the Samsung competition that challenges public school 6th to 12th graders to solve a problem in their community using science, technology, engineering and math.

“Their ideas are brilliant,” declared Vicente, a Sr. Manager of Business Development for the Mobile Business at Samsung Electronics America. She’s the Samsung employee mentor to two New Jersey state-winning teams: Belleville High School and Bergenfield High School which have already won $15,000 in Samsung technology and supplies for their schools as a result of their efforts. “I love working with the younger generations and sharing how technology can affect our lives for the better,” she said.

Solve for Tomorrow project-in-process: Belleville High School team members Cesia D. and Alejandra R. developing the storyboard for the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest.

Belleville’s students brainstormed ideas on how they could assist their community for the detection and geolocation of lead levels in water. After speaking with the mayor and several experts, the students came up with a plan that would allow for a smartphone to be turned into a dark field microscope.  This detection system will be used to quantify lead levels in water and allow residents to make informed water usage decisions.

Joshua N. presents Team Bergenfield’s research into reversing antibiotic resistance to the Bergenfield Board of Health, while a classmate videotapes the presentation for the video they will submit to advance to the final phase of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest.

Team Bergenfield’s research into reversing antibiotic resistance to bacterial illnesses like pneumonia aims to raise awareness of the potential benefit of putting natural resistance back into the human body with foods like olive oil and chlorophyll supplements. A presentation by the Bergenfield Solve team of two and the local Board of Health helped get the word out of the students’ research and learnings and secured them an invite to a future community health fair in an effort to increase awareness of the learnings within the community.

As part of the STEM competition, both teams and 100 state winners across the nation have turned their STEM projects into prototypes with an accompanying video submission in a bid to be named a National Finalist and a shot at one of five grand prizes — $100,000 in Samsung technology and supplies for their schools.

“I think what Samsung is doing is amazing, considering the future of STEM and STEM-based careers and there’s such a shortage of scientists,” said Anu Thadani, STEM teacher at Bergenfield High School who is guiding the students through the competition. “I think competitions like will entice more students to go into these fields. It’s what our country gravely needs.”

Vicente is supporting the teams with weekly video chats, asking them each time, “How can I help you?” She is guiding their brainstorming process to help focus each project as well as helping the students get the most out of meetings with community members and experts, and ensuring all team members have a voice in the process.

“I hope my mentor role can help them establish a closer relationship with Samsung,” said Vicente, unknowingly calling to mind the company’s desired effect of the decade-old competition conducted by Samsung in the U.S. and now held in 30 countries around the world.

Samsung Electronics America Sr. Manager Yolanda Vicente, right, with one of the students she’s mentoring in the 2020 Solve for Tomorrow STEM contest, Joshua N. (center) of Bergenfield High School and STEM teacher Anu Thadani (left), after presenting his team’s project to the Bergenfield Board of Health.

“Samsung Solve for Tomorrow began out of a desire to enable younger generations through education and inspire students to learn much-needed STEM skills through problem-based learning in order to build the technology workforce of the future,” explained Ann Woo, Sr. Director of Corporate Citizenship for Samsung Electronics America.

Which is why Vicente and her colleagues are a critical part of the contest’s activities. Vicente loves working to build technology for good and is very familiar with tech applications aimed at assisting the user. She worked at Samsung Spain on a groundbreaking app that detects dyslexia in younger students and, as an MBA Candidate, on a geolocation app that helps people with moderate Alzheimer’s disease to live more independently and safely.

“I see science and technology as a good way to understand the world, and that’s a good starting point for solving problems,” said Vicente, whose expertise is in creating value for users through apps deployed in connected devices. She has a Master of Science in Telecommunication Engineering, and a Master of Business Administration degree.

“These kids are following the same innovation method that we use in the real world – identify the need, brainstorm solutions, research, test, fail, learn – all while creating a huge impact in their community,” Vicente said. “I’m proud to work for a company that is investing time and resources into student innovation.”

This year marks the 10^th anniversary of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, for which Samsung has doubled the number of schools awarded in each phase of the contest as well as increased the overall prize pool to $3 million.* National Finalist teams will be announced on March 5^th, 2020 and will compete for one of five grand prizes and a community choice award by pitching their projects to a panel of judges on April 1^st in New York City.

*$3 million prize is based on an estimated retail value.