Generating educational pathways for students’ career choices through MyMDC Pathway - SharkByte 2025
Generating educational pathways for students’ career choices through MyMDC Pathway - SharkByte 2025
Generating educational pathways for students’ career choices through MyMDC Pathway - SharkByte 2025
Timeline:
Nov 7-9 2025
Timeline:
Nov 7-9 2025
Platform:
Web App
Platform:
Web App
My Role:
Product Manager
Software Developer
My Role:
Product Manager
Software Developer
Introduction
MyMDC Pathway is a personalized, AI-powered educational planning tool designed to help students understand the complete journey required to reach their dream careers by mapping degrees, transfer steps, certifications, and professional milestones into one clear roadmap. In this project, I focused on solving the core problems below within a 36-hour build period as part of Miami Dade College’s SharkByte Hackathon(MDC's first college-wide hackathon).
MyMDC Pathway is a personalized, AI-powered educational planning tool designed to help students understand the complete journey required to reach their dream careers by mapping degrees, transfer steps, certifications, and professional milestones into one clear roadmap. In this project, I focused on solving the core problems below within a 36-hour build period as part of Miami Dade College’s SharkByte Hackathon (MDC's first college-wide hackathon).
MyMDC Pathway is a personalized, AI-powered educational planning tool designed to help students understand the complete journey required to reach their dream careers by mapping degrees, transfer steps, certifications, and professional milestones into one clear roadmap. In this project, I focused on solving the core problems below within a 36-hour build period as part of Miami Dade College’s SharkByte Hackathon(MDC's first college-wide hackathon).
My Role
I led the design and prototyping of this project from start to finish alongside my team. As the Product Manager and a Software Developer, I collaborated closely with my software development team Gerald, and Christian, to build a functional prototype and meet our challenges of choice. We iteratively refined the prototype for improved usability and engagement.
I led the design and prototyping of this project from start to finish alongside my team. As the Product Manager and a Software Developer, I collaborated closely with my software development team Gerald, and Christian, to build a functional prototype and meet our challenges of choice. We iteratively refined the prototype for improved usability and engagement.
I led the design and prototyping of this project from start to finish alongside my team. As the Product Manager and a Software Developer, I collaborated closely with my software development team Gerald, and Christian, to build a functional prototype and meet our challenges of choice. We iteratively refined the prototype for improved usability and engagement.
Inspiration
When students evaluate career choices, they often feel lost trying to understand the full academic and professional journey required to reach them. We wanted to create something meaningful that brings clarity to every step. This led us to build MyMDC Pathway, an AI-driven platform that lays out complete educational pathways starting with the right MDC program and including transfer plans, articulation agreements, internships, and any required exams or certifications. By providing clear options and personalized routes, we help students turn long-term ambitions into organized, guided plans.
When students evaluate career choices, they often feel lost trying to understand the full academic and professional journey required to reach them. We wanted to create something meaningful that brings clarity to every step. This led us to build MyMDC Pathway, an AI-driven platform that lays out complete educational pathways starting with the right MDC program and including transfer plans, articulation agreements, internships, and any required exams or certifications. By providing clear options and personalized routes, we help students turn long-term ambitions into organized, guided plans.
When students evaluate career choices, they often feel lost trying to understand the full academic and professional journey required to reach them. We wanted to create something meaningful that brings clarity to every step. This led us to build MyMDC Pathway, an AI-driven platform that lays out complete educational pathways starting with the right MDC program and including transfer plans, articulation agreements, internships, and any required exams or certifications. By providing clear options and personalized routes, we help students turn long-term ambitions into organized, guided plans.
Problem Statement
Many students struggle to understand the full academic and professional pathway needed to reach their desired careers. Most people simply lack exposure to a clear, systematic approach to career planning, one that shows how programs, transfer routes, certification exams, and advanced study options fit together. Without this clarity, students often feel unsure about their next steps, leading to confusion and delays in career choices made without complete information.
Many students struggle to understand the full academic and professional pathway needed to reach their desired careers. Most people simply lack exposure to a clear, systematic approach to career planning, one that shows how programs, transfer routes, certification exams, and advanced study options fit together. Without this clarity, students often feel unsure about their next steps, leading to confusion and delays in career choices made without complete information.
Many students struggle to understand the full academic and professional pathway needed to reach their desired careers. Most people simply lack exposure to a clear, systematic approach to career planning, one that shows how programs, transfer routes, certification exams, and advanced study options fit together. Without this clarity, students often feel unsure about their next steps, leading to confusion and delays in career choices made without complete information.
Solution
MyMDC Pathway addresses the problem through four key features:
MyMDC Pathway addresses the problem through four key features:
Career to Educational Pathway
Career to Educational Pathway
Students input a desired career such as Architect or Mechanical Engineer, and the system instantly generates a complete academic pathway.
Students input a desired career such as Architect or Mechanical Engineer, and the system instantly generates a complete academic pathway.
Integrated Transfer Planning
Integrated Transfer Planning
Displays recommended bachelor's and graduate programs along with articulation agreements and partner universities, and links for more in-depth transfer information.
Displays recommended bachelor's and graduate programs along with articulation agreements and partner universities, and links for more in-depth transfer information.
Professional Requirements
Professional Requirements
Highlights crucial milestones including certification exams, licenses, and internships, such as the FE and PE exams for engineering students, along with links for additional exam information.
Highlights crucial milestones including certification exams, licenses, and internships, such as the FE and PE exams for engineering students, along with links for additional exam information.
Benficiaries
Primary beneficiaries
Primary beneficiaries
MDC students trying to understand their academic pathway.
MDC students trying to understand their academic pathway.
Secondary beneficiaries
Secondary beneficiaries
Academic advisors helping students plan their careers.
Academic advisors helping students plan their careers.
How we build it
We designed and built MyMDC Pathway using the following tools and technologies: Cursor, Next.js (Node, Tailwind, React, Next), Google Gemini API and Canvas, GitHub, and Discord/WhatsApp for communication.
We designed and built MyMDC Pathway using the following tools and technologies: Cursor, Next.js (Node, Tailwind, React, Next), Google Gemini API and Canvas, GitHub, and Discord/WhatsApp for communication.
We designed and built MyMDC Pathway using the following tools and technologies: Cursor, Next.js (Node, Tailwind, React, Next), Google Gemini API and Canvas, GitHub, and Discord/WhatsApp for communication.
Challenges
Understanding and implementing the Gemini API
Understanding and implementing the Gemini API
Integrating the API required additional research, testing, and troubleshooting to ensure it worked correctly with our system.
Integrating the API required additional research, testing, and troubleshooting to ensure it worked correctly with our system.
Ensuring correct links for educational pathways
Ensuring correct links for educational pathways
We had to carefully verify that each degree pathway used accurate and functional links, which added extra validation steps during development.
We had to carefully verify that each degree pathway used accurate and functional links, which added extra validation steps during development.
Differentiating majors with multiple variations
Differentiating majors with multiple variations
Some programs had several similar versions, making it challenging to correctly categorize and display them within the pathway generator.
Some programs had several similar versions, making it challenging to correctly categorize and display them within the pathway generator.
Accomplishments we're proud of
Improved accuracy of pathway links
Improved accuracy of pathway links
We realized that working in a clear, linear sequence was far more effective given the tight time constraints of a hackathon. This helped us stay organized and avoid the bottlenecks we experienced in previous events.
We realized that working in a clear, linear sequence was far more effective given the tight time constraints of a hackathon. This helped us stay organized and avoid the bottlenecks we experienced in previous events.
Stronger team collaboration
Stronger team collaboration
Working together on both software development and documentation proved highly efficient. Clear communication, shared responsibilities, and version-controlled workflows helped us move faster and stay aligned.
Working together on both software development and documentation proved highly efficient. Clear communication, shared responsibilities, and version-controlled workflows helped us move faster and stay aligned.
Prioritizing a single user flow
Prioritizing a single user flow
We learned that focusing on one core user flow first, then expanding step by step, is far more effective than trying to build multiple flows at once. This approach kept development streamlined and prevented unnecessary complexity during the hackathon.
We learned that focusing on one core user flow first, then expanding step by step, is far more effective than trying to build multiple flows at once. This approach kept development streamlined and prevented unnecessary complexity during the hackathon.
Future Steps
Here are the future steps for MyMDC Pathway Web App:
Here are the future steps for MyMDC Pathway Web App:
Add new visualization options
Add new visualization options
Including different graph and chart styles, to help students better understand degree progressions and pathway structures.
Including different graph and chart styles, to help students better understand degree progressions and pathway structures.
Implement a comparison feature
Implement a comparison feature
Allowing students to view multiple educational pathways side by side and evaluate which route best fits their goals.
Allowing students to view multiple educational pathways side by side and evaluate which route best fits their goals.
Further iteration and optimization
Further iteration and optimization
Improving our functional prototype to optimize user and tech needs.
Improving our functional prototype to optimize user and tech needs.
I really enjoyed the process from designing, prototyping, and user testing for my second hackathon. I couldn’t have done it without my amazing team from FIU!
I really enjoyed the process from designing, prototyping, and user testing for my second hackathon. I couldn’t have done it without my amazing team from FIU!
If you’d like to learn more about this event, check out Sharkbyte.
If you’d like to learn more about this event, check out Sharkbyte.
@ 2025 Sean Valencia