Next Wave

Next Wave: AI-powered career pathways for MDC students. Enter your dream job, get a complete roadmap from A.A. to Ph.D., including transfers, exams, certifications & costs. Your future, mapped.

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Inspiration

We were inspired by conversations with MDC students and our own struggles of feeling lost navigating the journey of education. Many knew what career they want but have no clear view showing the degrees, certifications, exams, and transfer requirements needed to get there. We saw an opportunity to use AI to transform career planning from an overwhelming maze into a clear, personalized roadmap—empowering students to confidently pursue their dreams.

What it does

Next Wave is an AI-powered platform that generates comprehensive career pathways for MDC students. Users enter career goal or interests (like "Mechanical Engineer", "Gaming",), and our system creates a complete educational roadmap including:

  • Starting MDC A.A./A.S. programs
  • Transfer plans with articulation agreements to partner institutions
  • Bachelor's, Master's, and Ph.D. pathways
  • Required licensing exams (FE, PE) and certifications
  • Internship opportunities and timing recommendations
  • Alternative pathways and program comparisons
  • Financial planning tools to calculate costs

Students can explore multiple routes, compare options side-by-side, and make informed decisions about their educational investment.

How we built it

We built Next Wave using a modern tech stack:

  • Frontend: React with TypeScript and Vite for a fast, responsive user experience
  • UI/UX: Tailwind CSS and Framer Motion for polished animations and interactions
  • Backend: Python Flask APIs deployed on AWS Lambda for scalable serverless architecture
  • Data Processing: Custom web scraping and parsing tools to collect MDC program information, transfer agreements, and professional requirements
  • AI Integration: Leveraged AI to analyze career requirements and generate personalized pathways

We followed an agile development process, iterating on user flows and continuously refining our pathway generation algorithms.

Challenges we ran into

Our biggest challenge was data collection and standardization. Educational pathways involve complex, interconnected information from multiple sources—MDC course catalogs, articulation agreements, licensing board requirements, and professional certification bodies. Each source had different formats and levels of detail.

We also faced challenges with:

  • Pathway complexity: Ensuring our AI generated accurate, comprehensive pathways that accounted for prerequisites, timing, and alternative routes
  • State management: Handling complex user flows with multiple comparison tools and dynamic pathway generation
  • UX design: Making complex educational information digestible and actionable without overwhelming users

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Comprehensive pathway generation: We successfully integrated data from multiple sources to create end-to-end career roadmaps that span from associate degrees to doctoral programs

  • Alternative pathways: Unlike traditional advising, we show students ALL possible MDC starting points for their chosen career

  • User experience: We transformed complex educational data into an intuitive, visually appealing interface that students actually enjoy using

  • Real impact potential: We built something that could genuinely change how thousands of MDC students plan their futures

  • Team collaboration: We came together as a team, leveraged our diverse skills, and shipped a functional product within the hackathon timeline

What we learned

This project taught us invaluable lessons about:

  • Data architecture: How to structure and normalize educational data from different sources
  • User-centered design: The importance of simplifying complex information without losing critical details
  • AI prompt engineering: Crafting effective prompts to generate accurate, personalized educational pathways
  • Full-stack integration: Connecting frontend user experiences with backend AI and data processing
  • Educational systems: Deep insights into how articulation agreements, transfer credits, and professional licensing work
  • Teamwork under pressure: How to collaborate effectively, divide responsibilities, and support each other during a hackathon

What's next for Next Wave

We have an exciting roadmap ahead: Short-term:

  • Real-time program data: Integrate live feeds from MDC and partner institutions for always-current information
  • User accounts: Enable students to save pathways, track progress, and receive updates

Medium-term:

  • Academic advisor integration: Tools for MDC advisors to use Next Wave during counseling sessions
  • Scholarship matching: Connect students with relevant scholarships and financial aid opportunities

Long-term:

  • Outcome tracking: Follow alumni career success and continuously refine pathway recommendations
  • Mobile app: Native iOS and Android applications for on-the-go career planning

Our vision is to make Next Wave the standard tool for career pathway.

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