CLERMONT, Fla. — Ready, aim, sauce!

What You Need To Know

  • East Ridge High School students entered business development competition

  • Their "condiment launcher" was met with skepticism by their program coordinator

  • But the students "ran with it," developing the concept and a commercial

  • The project came in first of 13 teams and also earned the program $1,500

Students in East Ridge High School’s High Tech Program identified and solved what they consider a common problem.

“The initial feeling of having your food and getting ready to eat it is fun. But as soon as you have to go back and realize you forgot something, the experience gets ruined,” said Ferneli Pena, a senior at East Ridge High School.

Enter the "condiment launcher."

His group came up with this saucy idea to compete in the Project Venture Business Development Competition — even though at first, their teacher had doubts.

“My first reaction was, 'Do you really need someone to bring you your condiments?' But they loved it, and I was super impressed because they took the idea and ran with it,” said Nicole Marconi, the High Tech Coordinator for Lake County.

After creating the concept, the students had to develop a commercial.

“It felt like professional work. We have a schedule, we have to get these shots in,” said Robert Rosser, a senior at East Ridge High School.

And also put together a business plan. 

“I had to build the structure of the business from scratch. So I made a fake room and put a certain amount of 3D printers in there,” Pena said.

The project aimed to develop students' communication, critical thinking and teamwork skills in a workplace environment.

Thirteen teams competed, and East Ridge shot right to the top, becoming champions.

“I was very excited. I jumped out of my chair and I put my hands up and just went, 'Yes,' ” Rosser exclaimed.

“Knowing that I won, that we achieved something as a team together in the HSHT program that’s for the school, it felt actually different,” said Shalamar Levarity, a junior at East Ridge.

Marconi hopes this experience will help give them confidence in the future. 

“They were able to see in real life, in real time, how important teamwork is, problem solving, working together,” Marconi said. “Just the pride in their faces was extraordinary.”

The students also won $1,500, which will go back to the High Tech Program at East Ridge.