Theme: Making the World a Better Place

NeoCity Academy Youth are focused on making the world better through their passion of learning and the heights to which they excel in Bioscience, Engineering, and Artificial Intelligence.

NeoCity Academy
195 NeoCity Way
Kissimmee, Florida, 34744
United States

Aaron Matrinez

BioDesign

Aaron is a 16-year-old junior at NeoCity Academy in the BioDesign pathway. He has lived in Florida his whole life and skipped the first grade. He has a variety of interests including reading, writing, genetics, politics, music, video games, and world affairs. He wants to attend the University of Michigan and become a Genetic Counselor.

Adam Almsouti

BioDesign

Adam Almsouti is a student at NeoCity Academy who has a vision for his future as a physician who improves the lives of other people with his passion for science, medicine, and helping others. He is from Damascus, Syria, and has lived in the United States for more than 14 years. He enjoys personal hobbies such as cooking, baking, and playing video games, and his favorite food is chicken shawarma, a delicacy from Syrian cuisine. At his school, he is the vice-president of the NeoCity Culinary Club and has certifications for CPR and Biotechnology (BACE certification).

Andres De la Cerda

Artificial Intelligence

Andres de la Cerda is a Junior at Neocity Academy, athlete for Gateway Highschool and Harmony Highschool. He strives to go into the field of photonics, and get a degree in the stem field.

Andrew Phillip

BioDesign

"Andrew Philip is a junior at NeoCity Academy in the BioDesign pathway. He has a heart for service and a passion for the medical field which he wishes to pursue down the road. As someone deeply invested in caring for others, Andrew brings empathy, curiosity, and leadership to every opportunity. He's a firm believe in the power of reflection, collaboration, and growth through failure- no solution is perfect and no problem is too far gone. His TedX talk address the urgent conversation about generative Ai in education, not as a threat as much of the media portrays, but rather as a mirror reflecting much deeper systemic issues which prioritize creating students over learners. Through his insights, Andrew hopes not to pretend the solution is easy l but rather, spart a conversation on reimaging education that values curiosity, meaningful learning, and student well-being over mere performance. He believes world changers grow in the classroom, so that's where we should start "

Annalese Smith

BioDesign

Annalese Smith is a student at Neocity Academy in the Biodesign pathway. She has recently been accepted as a LEDA Scholar and is excited to start her college journey. She enjoys musicals, books, trying new foods, and spending time with her family. She currently plans on studying medical anthropology and changing the world.

Ashleigh Barritt

Artificial Intelligence

Ashleigh Barritt is a junior at Neocity Academy, she is involved in over 7 clubs and is an active member of her community. Ashleigh is taking 5 AP classes and has over a 3.8 unweighted GPA. She has a job at her local dance studio, where she also takes classes and participates in competitive dance. Dance is a huge part of Ashleigh’s life, she has been dancing for over 10 years. But dance and school aren’t the only things important in her life as she loves hanging out with her friends and family whenever she has free time. Ashleigh also enjoys volunteering for her school and community, in fact she has over 300 volunteer hours. Her hours can range from completing teaching dance classes at her studio to giving tours as an ambassador at Neocity. Overall, Ashleigh is a hard worker and decided to the things she loves the most whether that is dance, school, friends or family, she will do whatever it takes to make them great and will never give up.

Ayden Monegro

Artificial Intelligence/Software Development

Ayden is an intuitive, determined, and creative student at NeoCity Academy. He has been certified in multiple coding languages such as Python, Java, and HTML/CSS. Working in the AI pathway, he has worked through multiple means and ethics involving Artificial Intelligence, developing chatbots and predictive models that provide outlook on a multitude of fields. He is a hard worker, and he's here to talk about a topic that personifies a double-edged sword, that there are two sides to every story.

Brody Barnes

BioDesign

Brody Barnes has applied himself to studying Biology and the life sciences, studious in his effort towards working as a Scientific Reseacher. A passionate advocate for improving the lively hood of all people, he argues for standing up to authority without trampling over the powerless.

David Evans

Engineering, Software Development

David "Xan" Evans is a 16-year-old Puerto Rican American NeoCity student in his third year of the Applied Engineering Technologies pathway. Specializing in aerospace, he has spent far too much time researching completely unrelated topics such as historical linguistics and poetry and is self-taught in Python and C++. Throughout his academic career, he has been certified in Inventor, AutoCAD, and the Adobe Professional Suite. Finding interest in a wide variety of subjects, David often writes and performs poetry. His interest in writing won him the Junior NaNoWriMo challenge in 2021, writing 86,000 words in 30 days. Ever the unapologetic nerd, he also regularly runs Dungeons & Dragons campaigns and has recently taken an interest in the world of Warhammer 40k. He is working towards a way of combining his creative passion with teaching complex engineering concepts.

Dylan Lopez

Engineering

Dylan Lopez is an 18-year-old Floridian high schooler who is currently enrolled at NeoCity Academy. He was born and raised in Florida and comes from a family of immigrants. He is currently a 11th grader who is enrolled in the Engineering Pathway of the school. He has currently three Autodesk certifications for engineering and two Adobe certifications. And for his current year of high school, he is taking four AP classes.

Erika Kim / Hosokawa

Biomedical Interventions

Erika Kim/Hosokawa is a student at NeoCity Academy where she serves as Vice President of both the Asian Student Alliance and the Light Music Club. Drawing from her personal experience attending school in both Japan and the United States, Erika explores the cultural and behavioral contrasts between the two systems. Her TEDx Talk, sheds light on how classroom behavior in the U.S. is often perceived through a different lens in Japan and how bridging these perspectives can foster greater respect and learning. Erika also volunteers at a Japanese supplementary school, deepening her connection to education and cultural values.

Erika Troya Ureta

Engineering

Erika Troya is currently in the Engineering Pathway at Neocity Academy. She plans on studying Engineering and potentially specializing in architecture or civil engineering. She enjoys spending time with family, playing games, playing and dressing up her beloved dog Pooka. She was the first place winner for the State Technology Student Association 2025 competition for CAD Architecture.

Isabella Ballen

BioDesign

Isabella Ballen is a dedicated student leader, passionate in the pathway of BioDesign and health sciences. She is a HOSA leader with multiple 1st and 2nd place awards in Medical and Nursing Assisting at regionals and states. She has represented the school at HOSA Internationals, interned with and shadowed nurses, and holds certifications in CPR and Biomedical Sciences and is currently working towards her BACE exam to become a certified biomedical laboratory assistant. As a volunteer with 60+ hours at Teen Court, she works as a juror, clerk, and attorney to help other teenagers redeem themselves while developing her public speaking skills. She is also a leader in her French Honor Society, leading students to competition and encouraging cultural enrichment. Isabella's skills of leadership, communication, and organizational have landed her the role of speaking about "The Illusion of Multitasking," reflecting her curiosity and drive to challenge misconceptions with clarity and focus.

Julian Rodriguez

Engineering

Julian Rodriguez was born on July 10th, 2008 in West Palm Beach, Florida. He grew as a curious kid learning, exploring, and creating with whatever he saw or thought. At age 14 he entered into Neocity Academy to study to become an architect as to indulge his interest in engineering, math, and art. During this time up to his Junior year he experience hardship and realizations to what he wishes to become. As of recently he had explored further into expanded subjects besides engineering through coding, visual/virtual art, and creative writing. And with all this knowledge and wisdom he has become the man he is today, dreaming and thinking to the future.

Leonardo Fermin

Artificial Intelligence

Leonardo Fermin is a student at NeoCity Academy and former Pre-iB student. He enjoys writing, music, and naps.

Luke Osborne

Artificial Intelligence

Luke Osborne is a student at NeoCity Academy, currently in the AI pathway. He has been going to NeoCity Academy for three years, looking for a place to learn skills for his desired career. He strives to become a game designer, and works hard to achieve that goal - learning C# and other programming languages. In the future, he dreams to get into MIT, but looks for a more reasonable position at UCF.

Margo Barthle

BioDesign

Margo’s name means pearl, and her parents named her after a college professor. She is in the BioDesign pathway here at NeoCity, and she wants to use her experience here to pursue a passion in biomedical engineering. She enjoys playing sports in her free time, especially soccer. She also likes watching games and learning about teams and players. She is an active member of 4-H and love raising animals; they are all so cute! She wanted to give this talk on competition because she sees it every day; playing sports and entering so many competitions make it easier to spot in real life. She hopes something here resonates with you and hopes you enjoy the event!

Noelia Loor-Moreira

BioDesign

Noelia Loor-Moreira is a 16-year-old student at NeoCity Academy, currently pursuing the BioDesign Pathway, hoping to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). Born in Tampa and raised in Osceola County, she’s a first-generation Ecuadorian-American who leads as an officer in the United Hispanics Association (UHA), a passionate weightlifter, and the youngest of three sisters. She's lived the contrast of growing up feeling “ugly” by society’s standards and now navigates life with the privilege of being seen as conventionally attractive, a journey that's sharpened her empathy, fueled her confidence, and deepened her passion for building a world where worth isn’t defined by appearance.

Paula Quilon Dominguez

BioDesign

Paula Quilon Dominguez was born in Spain and moved to the United States when she was five. She wants to be a doctor and is currently deciding between Obstetrics and Oncology. She wants to dedicate her life to helping others, and the medical field is the best way she can think of accomplishing that goal.

Sara Velez Yepes

BioDesign

Sara Velez is a dedicated Colombian-American junior at NeoCity Academy, thriving in the Biodesign Program with aspirations to become an oncologist. As a first-generation American, she channels her passion into her academic and extracurricular pursuits. Sara interns at EcoTekLab, gaining valuable experience in biomedical research. She leads as president of Women in STEM, serves in the National Honor Society (NHS), and holds a position in the Student Government Association. As a NeoCity Academy Ambassador and STEMp Camp Committee Leader, she inspires others while promoting STEM education. An AP Scholar, Sara’s commitment to excellence and healthcare innovation marks her as a future leader in oncology.

Sebastian Delgado

BioDesign

Sebastian Delgado is a Junior attending NeoCity Academy, pursuing in the BioDesign Pathway. Sebastian is very involved within his school community, participating in various activities and clubs. He wishes to pursue becoming a surgeon, as it has been a lifelong interest of his to do hands-on medicinal work and to help others. One of his passions is being involved in HOSA, a medical competition in which he focuses on doing CPR/First Aid with his teammate.