SPC Students Participate in Battle of the Brains

St. Philip’s College students Anand Sukhlall, Adeli Perez, Gabriel Valle, Micah Williams, and Jackson Marshall, and faculty members Leann Dinsdale and Larry Keller, traveled to Austin to compete in the 9th annual HBCU Battle of the Brains competition, held March 10–15.

The HBCU Battle of the Brains competition brings together teams from HBCUs nationwide to determine a champion through a series of challenges, including a 24-hour competition, company activations, and panel discussions. The event highlights top business, technology, and STEM talent while connecting students with potential employers and career pathways.

Throughout the week, students networked with industry leaders, interviewed for scholarships, and met with executives from Home Depot, Capital One, eBay, Thrivent, and Dell. An event highlight for the college was that Business Management and Technology student Micah Williams received an internship offer from Capital One following his strong performance during the competition.

Student teams were tasked with developing a business solution to help companies maintain accurate representation in AI-assisted shopping. Participants created a presentation and application designed to track brand visibility in AI-generated results, improve product information accuracy, and incorporate ethical oversight to reduce misleading recommendations.

In addition to the competition, students participated in a large-scale community service project sponsored by Thrivent and hosted at the Archer Hotel. Alongside other participants and Thrivent employees, they assembled 8,750 snack packs and addressed 1,000 postcards for local summer camp children served by the African American Youth Harvest Foundation.

The experience provided St. Philip’s College students with hands-on problem-solving opportunities, career development, networking, and community service. Their participation reflects both their technical skills and their commitment to making an impact in their community.