An Upper Darby student was honored at the White House Tuesday in an artificial intelligence competition.

First lady Melania Trump recognized Upper Darby senior Khandakar Mahin as one of six students on National Champion Teams during the first Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge National Champion Awards Ceremony.

Khandakar was honored for his entry titled “Utilizing Computer Vision for Hotel Room Identification in Criminal Investigations.”

More than 20,000 students participated across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 49 Department of Defense schools around the world.

The first lady emphasized the impact that AI and emerging technologies are having in creating new opportunities for young people to learn, innovate and help shape the future of America.

Trump praised the participants for using artificial intelligence to tackle real-world challenges and encouraged them to continue pursuing their dreams.

“It is wonderful to see this very impressive group of innovators at the White House,” she said. “I’m proud that you represent the best of America. You are our future. Today is about opening doors. When new doors open, passions flow, courage blossoms, and dreams are realized. AI inspires.”

The White House’s announcement of the event stated that new technologies are creating a fundamental democratization of intellect that will profoundly alter society: American industries, its social safety net, and even the nation’s open-mindedness toward cultural diversity.

“AI’s transformative nature opens new possibilities,” the first lady said. “AI can help us build a stronger community—making our publicly funded social programs more efficient and more effective. It allows us to deliver more personalized education and in turn, will unlock growth in America’s economy. Keep using artificial intelligence as a muse—to open new pathways, and ultimately, to achieve personal growth and success.”

Earlier in the year Khandakar was recognized among thousands of applicants for the Disney Dreamers Academy, Class of 2026.

At Upper Darby’s recent top 5 percent ceremony it was noted he has finished 16 AP courses, was a member of the Delco Hi-Q team, the National Honor Society and among numerous other activities being a volunteer data assistant for community organizations. His career goals is in the statistics, computer science and economics field.

On Wednesday Khandakar graduated with his classmates at a ceremony in the Liacouras Center at Temple University.