UNION SPRINGS - Haeja Kessler and Danielle Lyndaker see high school yearbooks getting an upgrade in the digital age.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Union Springs High School students Haeja Kessler, 17, and Danielle Lyndaker, 16, show a fake check for $1 million that they received for winning an invention contest in the school's Business and Principle class. The girls won with their concept of a digital yearbook.
Union Springs High School students Haeja Kessler, 17, and Danielle Lyndaker, 16, show a fake check for $1 million that they received for winning an invention contest in the school's Business and Principle class. The girls won with their concept of a digital yearbook.
On Wednesday, Union Springs High School business teacher Marianne Viscardi presented the two high school students with a check for winning the Principles of Business class' American Inventor competition.
Sure, the $1 million check is handwritten on computer paper, so they still lack the start-up capital requisite for establishing a business, but they undoubtedly will get a good grade on their final.
Kessler and Lyndaker invented a video yearbook in which a digital picture frame placed inside a yearbook would contain digital slides and pictures instead of using pages. The duo received their check on Wednesday as winners of the American Inventors contest held at the high school this and last week.
“Hopefully one day down the line someone will make our invention and we'll buy one,” said Lyndaker.
This year Viscardi decided to fiddle with the end of her for-college credit Principles of Business class. In years past students just had to take a final exam, she said. But after seeing the reality TV show “American Inventor,” Viscardi decided to establish her own invention competition.
From there students put on the ubiquitous thinking cap and starting pondering invention ideas, she said. They had to fill out the necessary paperwork and build either prototypes or PowerPoint presentations.
Students then presented the invention to a panel of four judges - a group of Union Springs teachers - as they would if they were in the real world,
Viscardi said. The judges then narrowed down the field to three finalists, including the video yearbook, a cell starter invented by students Zach Brooks, Ryan Kustyn and Ryan Larson, and fun flops created by Michaela Hares and Alicia Slylika.
On Wednesday the four judges, Bob Brantner, Mike Putnam, Healther Doyle and Danielle Contois, picked the one that was most viable.
“It was a really hard decision,” said Doyle. “We thought they were all viable and everyone would purchase them.”
American Inventors will become a staple at Union Springs High School; Viscardi and school Principal Kim Ward have seen to it. Viscardi will look at the project again and make a few improvements for next year.
“I never thought it would take off like it did,” she said.
And who knows; maybe in a few years those students will have their inventions put on real store shelves.
“I think this has put a little spark in their ideas,” said Viscardi. “You never know.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
Sure, the $1 million check is handwritten on computer paper, so they still lack the start-up capital requisite for establishing a business, but they undoubtedly will get a good grade on their final.
Kessler and Lyndaker invented a video yearbook in which a digital picture frame placed inside a yearbook would contain digital slides and pictures instead of using pages. The duo received their check on Wednesday as winners of the American Inventors contest held at the high school this and last week.
“Hopefully one day down the line someone will make our invention and we'll buy one,” said Lyndaker.
This year Viscardi decided to fiddle with the end of her for-college credit Principles of Business class. In years past students just had to take a final exam, she said. But after seeing the reality TV show “American Inventor,” Viscardi decided to establish her own invention competition.
From there students put on the ubiquitous thinking cap and starting pondering invention ideas, she said. They had to fill out the necessary paperwork and build either prototypes or PowerPoint presentations.
Students then presented the invention to a panel of four judges - a group of Union Springs teachers - as they would if they were in the real world,
Viscardi said. The judges then narrowed down the field to three finalists, including the video yearbook, a cell starter invented by students Zach Brooks, Ryan Kustyn and Ryan Larson, and fun flops created by Michaela Hares and Alicia Slylika.
On Wednesday the four judges, Bob Brantner, Mike Putnam, Healther Doyle and Danielle Contois, picked the one that was most viable.
“It was a really hard decision,” said Doyle. “We thought they were all viable and everyone would purchase them.”
American Inventors will become a staple at Union Springs High School; Viscardi and school Principal Kim Ward have seen to it. Viscardi will look at the project again and make a few improvements for next year.
“I never thought it would take off like it did,” she said.
And who knows; maybe in a few years those students will have their inventions put on real store shelves.
“I think this has put a little spark in their ideas,” said Viscardi. “You never know.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
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