36 Ransom Everglades LOG FALL 2026 AI in Action RE’s first class of AI Innovation Fellows are building for tomorrow Dhilan Tak ’27, Owen Brue ’27, Girish Raju ’27, Sienna Bautista ’27, Zoe Weber ’27, Olivia Gomez ’27, Henry Whited ’27, Elliot Slusky ’27, Brandon Heller ’27 Ransom Everglades’ inaugural class of AI Innovation Fellows got to work this summer, diving into projects designed to use artificial intelligence to solve real-world challenges in the RE community and beyond. Sienna Bautista ’27, Owen Brue ’27, Olivia Gomez ’27, Brandon Heller ’27, Girish Raju ’27, Elliot Slusky ’27, Dhilan Tak ’27, Zoe Weber ’27 and Henry Whited ’27 have been using AI to explore solutions to issues related to RE athletics, academics, administration and even allergy patterns in the classroom. The students entered the fall seeking to finalize their projects for a planned AI Innovation Symposium in January 2027. The goal of the new fellowships, created last spring, is to allow students opportunities to use AI thoughtfully, ethically and productively as they delve into complex issues. The fellows were selected after a competitive application process. Modeled on the annual Dan Leslie Bowden Fellowships in the Humanities, the fellowship offers the inaugural StudentNews fellows funding for AI tokens, API access, software licenses, hardware materials and travel. Students have also been taking advantage of mentorships at RE and at the university level. RE’s Director of Teaching and Learning Jess Merrick is administering the program with the support of RE faculty members Karen Key, Ines Basalo, Matthew Helmers, David Nunez and Rob Fox. “Once our fellows identified and explored challenges they genuinely cared about, building and refining a solution became more than an assignment,” Merrick said. “It became a passion ... What they’re learning extends far beyond AI. They’re learning to notice opportunities others miss, design thoughtful solutions, embrace iteration, and create work that will have a lasting impact on our community. That’s how they’ll leave Ransom Everglades better than they found it.” For information about how to support exciting programming at Ransom Everglades, contact RE’s Director of Advancement Vicki Carbonell Williamson ’88 at vwilliamson@ransomeverglades.org Beatrice Hernandez ’26 and Nelson Manstein ’26 advanced to the semifinalist round of the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program this past summer. Only 627 graduating seniors nationwide and 25 in Florida earned a place in the semifinal round of the competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. U.S. Presidential Scholar candidates are evaluated by an appointed commission for academic achievement, SAT/ACT scores, leadership and character with consideration given to excellence in the arts and technical fields. A total of 161 students were later Two graduating seniors named semifinalists in U.S. Presidential Scholars Program named U.S. Presidential Scholars and received honorary presidential medallions. Hernandez and Manstein did not apply for the program, nor were they nominated by Ransom Everglades. They received initial invitations from the U.S. Department of Education, then submitted applications to continue in the process. The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 by executive order of the President to recognize and honor some of the nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. Nelson Manstein ’26 Beatrice Hernandez ’26
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