National STEM Challenge champion

New Mexico Military Institute’s STEM Club is delighted to announce that Cadet Sylvia Xu will represent New Mexico at the National Stem Festival in Washington DC. Sylvia’s winning STEM project is “Using AI to Predict When the Rio Grande Will Run Dry” She joins 55 other winners from across the nation at this prestigious event, highlighting these young science innovators .   

From the event press release:
“With an acceptance rate of less than 5%, the National STEM Festival ranks among the most competitive early talent platforms in the world. Notably, more than 60% of the 2026 winners are young women, a powerful signal for the future of American innovation during Women’s History Month. The cohort spans every corner of America, from Guam to Georgia and Kansas to Connecticut. Their work includes working prototypes, patent-pending inventions, and advanced research focused on urgent needs in industry, healthcare, and government — including AI-powered surgical systems, energy transition, and cancer diagnostics.”