Northwest Yeshiva STEM team wins first prize at conference

Trio presents its automated pill box project in New Jersey.

By Andy Nystrom • May 26, 2025 8:30 am

A trio of Northwest Yeshiva High School (NYHS) students delved into the assisted healthcare technology realm by creating an automated pill box and notching a first-prize award in a prestigious conference in New Jersey.

The Mercer Island-based STEM team of juniors Sil Mostov, Elizabeth Gabbay and Avital Aronov presented their device and triumphed in the Best in Mechanical Engineering for Healthcare category at the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education Innovation Day Conference on May 20 in East Rutherford.

They stepped into the spotlight to showcase The PillPal Box, which is connected to an app and features a physical contraption made with a 3D printer. When the device is swiped, an alert bracelet is activated to dispense the pill. According to a press release, the technology is specially designed to help people remember to take their pills.

Aronov’s family provided the inspiration for the project, and a presentation slide describes the scenario: She came up with the idea for the pill box, “When she saw her mother, who lives on the West Coast, struggling with reminding her grandfather, who lives on the East Coast, to take his medications every day. After consulting with her friends who take medications, she realized that there was a great need for a device that helped people with taking their medications properly.”

Another slide notes that the STEM team’s research involved consulting with an anesthesiologist, who shared stories about patients who couldn’t keep track of their many prescriptions. “This strengthened our evidence that our project had a real and valuable purpose,” the slide adds.

STEM team director and longtime Mercer Island resident Ariela DeFunis said in a press release, “We are incredibly proud of our winning team and all of our students who presented at the conference. This award is a testament to the perseverance of our students, and to the power of integrating Jewish values with forward-thinking science and technology education.”

Nine NYHS students participated in the competition, which featured more than 400 entries, and the NYHS STEM team won a prize for the third straight year.

Aronov said the hard-working team is thrilled to be a prize-winner.

“I would like to especially extend my gratitude to Ms. DeFunis, our wonderful STEM teacher who worked so hard to make all of our school’s STEM projects come to life,” Aronov said.

Mostov described what it was like to bring The PillPal Box to life: “My part in our project was creating both the website and the product logo. The website was a required part of our entry and I definitely learned that creating a website that looks good is a lot harder than you’d expect. I also worked on the logo and that is the part of my contribution that I am the most proud of.”

Gabbay provided some insight into what the team members gained from their experience working on the project: “Engineering our STEM project was a valuable opportunity in learning both technical skills and teamwork. Winning was a huge honor and I am very grateful for the acknowledgment of our group’s efforts.”