Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. President | St. John's University website

The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies recently collaborated with Headstarter Inc., a startup co-founded by St. John’s University alumnus Faizan Ahmed, to organize the Headstarter AI Hackathon. The event aimed to challenge students to create AI projects that address the business needs of the company.

Speaking about the event, Joan E. DeBello, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science, and Chair of the Division of Computer Science, Mathematics, and Science, highlighted the significance of alumni involvement in inspiring current students and the benefits of academic clubs like the St. John’s student chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).

Faizan Ahmed, who earned degrees in Computer Science and Data Science from the College, shared his vision for Headstarter, stating, "Headstarter aims to democratize learning algorithms and interviewing through its AI agent, which interacts like a real, one-on-one tutor."

The competition not only focused on coding skills but also on communication, collaboration, problem-solving, understanding, and professionalism – essential qualities for aspiring software engineers, as explained by Mr. Ahmed.

The winning team of the Hackathon was rewarded with a sweatshirt, a two-month subscription to Headstarter, and an internship opportunity at the company for three weeks during the summer. Additionally, the second- and third-place winners received a two-month subscription to Headstarter.