How Imelda Built an AI Assistant for Her Autistic Son - AI Academy students' stories

In this inspiring first episode of our new student spotlight series, we talk with Imelda Garcia, a self-taught product designer and mother of three who turned personal challenge into opportunity. After facing tech industry layoffs, Imelda joined AI Academy's AI Agent Bootcamp with zero AI knowledge and created "Luie" - a groundbreaking AI assistant designed to support her autistic son in moments when she can't be there.

Hear how this determined mother went from feeling overwhelmed by new technology to becoming empowered by it, working through technical challenges despite having no coding background. Imelda shares the emotional moment when her creation first worked, her journey of multiple reinventions, and her plans to launch Luie on the Google Play Store. This conversation showcases how AI can create meaningful solutions for real human needs, and how our students transform from newcomers to innovators through hands-on learning.

Learn more and support Luie: https://www.myluie.org/

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