A Grade 12 student with the York Catholic District School Board is heading to Bengaluru, India this month to represent North America at the Technovation World Summit.
Victoria Scorziello, who attends Holy Cross Catholic Academy in Woodbridge, will travel with a teammate to present a healthcare navigation app they built to technology leaders and young entrepreneurs from around the world, according to a York Catholic District School Board news release.
From regional pitch event to continental champions
Scorziello entered the Technovation Waterloo Regional Pitch Event in January. The international competition encourages girls under 18 to engage with technology and artificial intelligence. Participants were given three months to identify a problem in their community and build a technology-based solution, along with a business plan to support it.
As an athlete who regularly travels for games, Scorziello knew how stressful it can be to get injured in an unfamiliar place and not know where to turn for appropriate care. That experience shaped the students' project.
Their solution is CareCompass, an app that pulls together hospital wait times, travel times and the services available at different facilities. Its goal is to help patients find the care best suited to their needs as quickly and efficiently as possible.
The app was originally designed for travelling athletes, but the students realized the anxiety of finding healthcare in an unfamiliar area affects many more people. They also believe CareCompass could ease pressure on healthcare workers by directing patients to the facility best able to respond to their needs.
In May, the pair won the Senior Grand Prize at the Waterloo competition. By July, they had been named North American Champions, earning their place at the world summit.
"It's all super surreal," Victoria shared. "I'm extremely honoured and excited for this incredible opportunity, and I can't wait to see where my creativity and problem-solving skills continue to take me."
"You don't have to be an expert in technology to get started," she said. "If you recognize an issue in your community, do something about it. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain from trying to make the world a better place."
Scorziello said she hopes her experience inspires other students to believe in their own ideas, even those who do not consider themselves technology experts.
Holy Cross principal Sandra Abate said the school community is thrilled by the achievement.
"We are incredibly proud of Victoria's outstanding achievement," Principal Abate said in the YCDSB release. "Becoming a North American Champion and representing Holy Cross Catholic Academy on the global stage is a remarkable accomplishment. Her innovation, determination and commitment to making a positive impact truly embody the spirit of our school."
