Learn what some of the most innovative high school students in the state have been up to.
The brand new Celebrating High School Innovators initiative brought together some of the most innovative high school students in the state of Illinois, giving them the chance to network with other young minds and highly innovative professionals, engage in projects together, and gain insight into resources available to them across the state.
On May 8th the top 20 winners of the CHSI Innovation Award were announced, and Governor Rauner recognized them by giving them a commemorative plaque. Here are their names, projects, and video links to their project bios.
Special thanks go out to Pontiac High School teacher Paul Ritter, who is not only a founding member of this project, but is the one responsible for bringing it to my attention. He wanted extra credit to be given to Jeffrey Elem, Junior at Pontiac Township High School, who wrote the song SHINE and had it produced at Eclipse Studios in Bloomington to celebrate the accomplishments of these incredible students. Will Jeffrey be on the list next year?
TOP INNOVATORS LIST 2015 (CLICK ON THE NAMES FOR THEIR VIDEO PROJECT BIOS)
Alan Zimmerman – Started and runs successful car detailing businees- Eureka High School Senior
Alina Srichinda – Fashion designer of the “drop dress”- Whitney M. Young Magnet High School Junior
Brian Gentile – Founded peer tutoring program and website for science classes- Maine South High School Senior
Daniel Rashid & Jake Knox – Built a Ruben’s tube that synchs to music- Streator Township High School Seniors
Evan Kaspi – Research about children with cerebral palsy – North Shore Country Day School Senior
Inyoung “Summer” Choi – created and runs anti-bullying program -Centennial High School Junior
Jackson Nannie – Started “Do Something Illinois” -Metamora Township High School Freshman
Keaton Keller – Created and runs TechSmartt YouTube channel- Prospect High School Senior
Kelly Fraher – Restored Civil War gravestones – Pontiac Township High School Senior
La’Clesha Moore -Poet – Noble Street College Prep Senior, Chicago
Melissa Pratt – filmaker- Glenbrook South High School Senior
Miriam Ross – PKU Research – University Laboratory High School Sophomore, Urbana
Nathan Hartley – President of Uniquely Able, Inc. Naperville North High School Junior
Puja Mittal Created course curriculum for entrepreneurship course at her school, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy Senior
Sushil & Pranav Upadhyayula -Tutoring Twins, created and run a tutoring business to help elementary aged kids with math, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy Sophomores, Aurora
Tanner Van De Veer – 3D artist merging engineering and art, Washington Community High School Senior,
Thaddeus J. Hughes – Lego League mentor, created Spinning Robots curriculum, Lego Robotics team, UberBox cloud storage, Hughes Prairie Academy (homeschool student) Senior
Jack (Timothy) McDermott – Completely revamped and runs school’s journalism website, won 2nd best website in state – Prospect High School Senior
5-29-15
Susan Saunders
