Latest news with #ProspectHighSchool
CBS News
15-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Mount Prospect, Illinois high school students have business success with ShimmerShield jewelry spray
Imagine juggling school, sports, homework — and a budding business. That is life for some high school students in the northwest Chicago suburb of Mount Prospect. The students at Prospect High School came up with a product in their class that is catching some big attention online. In their college entrepreneurship class, seniors Lexi Kuzak and Neve Pomis and junior Molly Beyna invented a product that solves a common problem. "So if you get jewelry from like Amazon or Shein, it'll rust like really quickly. It'll tarnish," said Lexi. "It'll turn your skin green." They call the solution ShimmerShield. It is a protective spray that prevents rust and tarnish. "We actually worked with one of the chem teachers here at Prospect," said Lexi. It turned out to be a winning formula. The girls took home $3,000 at a Township High School District 214-wide startup competition. ShimmerShield has also been shining on social media, with 3.2 million views on TikTok. The views of video touting the product have translated into sales. "We're investing most of our money that we're currently making back into the business," said Lexi. The young entrepreneurs have been busy lately. Assembled at a table in their college entrepreneurship class on Wednesday, the three young women were busy fulfilling orders for ShimmerShield and assembling packages. The assembly of packages takes up most of class time these days, as the product goes out to Oregon, Nevada, Georgia. And the young women understand the busy part of business. "Especially at like this time of year with like finals, AP tests and graduation, there's a lot going on," said Neve. But while it may not be as exciting as inventing and touting the product, filling orders feels fulfilling too. "Even the kind of less flashy and sparkly parts of it," said Lexi. ShimmerShield spray retails for $15.99.
CBS News
28-03-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
High school robotics teams put their skills and tech to the test at tournament in Arlington Heights, Illinois
Robots zipping across the floor picking up balls and PVC pipes might not sound like a sport, but it sure feels like it when you see the crowd and the energy of the teens at the controls. A robotics competition has drawn talented high schoolers from all over to Arlington Heights, Illinois. "It's like playing the world's coolest video game. That's what it feels like," said Colin Goodman, a junior at Prospect High School in Mt. Prospect, Illinois. Goodman and Rossen Gotsev are part of WildStang – a tie-dyed team of high schoolers from Township High School District 214 in the northwest suburbs. WildStang designed and built a robot for robotics competitions like the Midwest Regional FIRST Robotics Competition in Arlington Heights. "It's just a really big machine and it can do a lot of things," said Gotsev, a junior at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights. Each robot must complete very specific tasks. This year's challenge is water-themed. "You can see here, we have a ground intake that will pick up coral from the floor and feed it into our arm," Goodman said. Teams from all over Chicagoland and all over the world were taking part in the competition, but only WildStang has been competing in robotics for 30 years. "This competition, we have 39 teams here today. They're all in the pits. They're all working on their robots now between matches," said WildStang coach Mark Koch. "I can't build the robot. I'm a super organizer. I motivate the kids," he said. That motivation has led to domination for WildStang. "We've won three world championships," Koch said. WildStang – a robotics team on a roll for 30 years and counting – is now warming up their fingers and thumbs for yet another trip to the FIRST Robotics Competition World Championship in Houston next month. "Tremendously proud. They're awesome. I just love working with them," Koch said. The Midwest Regional tournament in Arlington Heights continues on Saturday.
CBS News
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Nonprofit turns Chicago area teen cancer survivor's story into music
As Stevie Wonder sang nearly half a century ago, "Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand." It can tell a story too, and a Chicago area pediatric cancer survivor had her story turned into a musical composition —which was performed before an enrapt audience Tuesday night in Skokie, Illinois. Ky Larkin, 14, wrote the story, "The State Champs," at home in Huntley with her three siblings — Kelz, Koco, and Knoxx. All four kids compete in wrestling, so naturally, that is what they wrote about — superpowers and battling a worthy opponent. Battling a serious opponent was something Ky had to do in real life — and in a way far more serious than a wrestling match. "She was diagnosed in December of 2023 with germinoma brain cancer," said Megan Larkin. "She did go through six cycles of chemotherapy and then 30 cycles of radiation therapy." Ky won her fight. "I got to ring the bell on September 17 for beating cancer and being done with chemotherapy and radiation," she said. Before that ringing moment, the Larking family got a call. "An organization called Sing Me a Story reached out," said Megan Larkin. The nonprofit finds kids in need and relies on their creativity to start a story. It's hard to improve upon the genius of a kid's imagination, but what about adding a little music? "I believe in the power of music in storytelling 100%," said Joe Sandy, a student composer at Illinois State University. Sing Me a Story connected Sandy with the orchestra and choir at Prospect High School in Mount Prospect. They prepared for months for the concert Wednesday night at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, at 9501 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie. "This music is here to uplift her and to inspire her to greatness," said Sandy. The music was inspired by Ky and her imagination. In the orchestral composition, Notes replaced the words and illustrations from "The State Champs" — but Ky could still hear it as her story, sounding better than ever before. "That was awesome," she said. "Like, I got chills."
