Notre Dame Academy Students Sweep NEXT Final Pitch Event, Win Scholarships
Notre Dame Academy students made waves at the recent NEXT Final Pitch Event, hosted by Square1 at Thomas More University. They took home top prizes in the Social Impact and Software/App divisions, while other local high schools also shone in their respective categories.
The event, which aimed to foster innovation and entrepreneurship among local high school students, saw 11 schools sending 36 teams to compete in six divisions. Notre Dame Academy's Josie Roberts, Gretchen Phelps, and Milli Rhodes impressed judges with their parking app, Parking Pal, earning them a $25,000 scholarship. Meanwhile, Anna Amundson and Marin Connelly from the same school won a full-tuition scholarship to Thomas More University for their tennis line call solution, Instaglow.
Beechwood High School and Covington Catholic led the Smart Devices and Physical Products divisions, respectively. Notably, Woodward Career Technical High School saw two teams win the inaugural Spanish-speaking division. Keegan Wall, Logan Johns, and Nic Blanchet from Lock In Lock-Box also received a significant boost, winning a $22,000 scholarship for their porch package theft solution.
The NEXT Final Pitch Event provided a platform for local students to showcase their innovations, learn from experts, and compete for substantial prizes. Square1, the event organizer, plans to expand the NEXT program in the 2025-2026 school year to offer more opportunities for students to develop their entrepreneurial skills and strengthen their science and networking foundations.