business mind YOUR

Business students developed plans for original products.

Confident in his presentation, sophomore Jordi Quirch explained the revenue trend of his original product in business class. After hours of preparation, the group came up with 2Quick: an app that offers a delivery clothing service where people could purchase from multiple clothing brands at once.

“Our goal is to make it easier for customers to run other errands while knowing the clothing they need is being taken care of,” Quirch said.

Business teacher Daniela Brenha’s students spent the past few months developing product ideas in groups in preparation to pitch their creations to a panel of judges.

“We encourage them to brainstorm and to think of problems that they see in the world, in the country, in the community, or even at home. We want them to come up with a solution for a product that would benefit these problems,” Brenha said.

In business teacher Kyle Byrnes’ class, Byrnes stressed the importance of the entrepreneur process, and noticed the growth of his students along the way.

“This project allowed students to both individually and collectively explore what the reality of creating a business from scratch is like,” Byrnes said.

After the presentations, judges tallied the scores and declared a winner in each class. The six finalists competed in the Business Plan Showcase. Those who placed first from that competition would go on to compete against other private schools in South Florida.

Story by Mia Carrasco

Stepping It

Junior Rania Ishoof invented her own product to solve a problem she had.

After experiencing it herself, junior Rania Ishoof invented a product to solve a problem that faced by many: outgrowing shoes. For her the business project, Ishoof and her classmates designed sneakers with interchangeable velcro patches. “Shoe Shok allows buyers to get one shoe that can be customized as often as they want,” Ishoof said.

The business program showcased their talent at the DECA competition in Orlando.

Over their weekend trip, nine students from the business club traveled to Orlando to compete in the annual DECA competition. Five students, including junior Lorenzo Jaime returned home with a state championship win. “It was my first year competing and walking onstage to receive my trophy was very cool. I cannot wait to go to nationals,” Jaime said.

Photo provided by Rania Ishoof

&WITH SAILING CAPTAIN SENIOR CORT SYNDER

What do you do as captain and what do you like about it?

As captain, I have the chance to see the freshmen grow, which allows me to see my teammates’ skills really evolve. I like that I get to be a role model for my new teammates and a leader for my friends that I have been sailing with for so long. I like to set the example of what dedication, hard work, and having fun looks like at sailing. I have always really liked the sport, and I think that all of this is a huge part of it.

What were your favorite parts throughout the season?

My favorite parts are definitely the races and the competition. Being out on the water for a race builds up so much adrenaline and excitement that is really hard to beat. That is where all of your hard practice really comes through. As captain, it is also my responsibility to keep the team in the right mindset to perform well.

Gusts of wind pushed the sailboat forward, testing freshman Maximilian Seuss’ grip on the sail. Seuss increased speed while controlling his boat, allowing his constant practice to shine through.

“The team has learned a lot this season, and we are really crushing it when it comes to improving our overall speed and scores. We have placed first out of 18 at two of our events this year,” Seuss said.

Sailing coach Brian Kamilar made sure sure that the team practiced three times a week at the US Sailing Center in Coconut Grove. For sophomore Benjamin Pasquier, it was his third year on the team, and his progress was due to the hard work he put in.

“I am seeing all my improvements, because of our tri-weekly practices. Also, Coach Kamilar really helps when it comes to progressing my skills,” said Pasquier.

Compared to other sports, practicing three times a week seemed like not enough time, however, Pasquier explained that even though the team could not practice every day, they still had a tight bond due to their dedication for the sport.

Sailing helped this pair of pals grow even closer together.

Sophomore Gus Alonso and junior Diogo Branco da Cruz liked to work together, since they are close friends outside of sailing. Since sailing is a sport that functions in teams, it is key to have a partner you can trust. “We have code words that we can say so that do not have to waste too much time talking,”

Branco da Cruz said. Together, they created a quick and easy method of communicating during races and practices.

“When you are on the boat, everything flows pretty quickly, so you have be ready to face strong winds or unexpected currents, and with our way of communicating, we work super cohesively,” Alonso said. Branco da Cruz joined sailing, because he saw Alonso was on the team. Through sailing, the pair felt closer than ever, and they plan to participate in sailing for the rest of their high school years. Photos by Fox Mar

“Over the years, the team has become quite close, and I think for a sport that is so dependent on partners, like sailing, it really makes a big difference,” Pasquier said.

For Kamilar, who has been in the sport for 30 years, and teaching it for 20, said no one needs experience to become a champion.

“For our team, there are no requirements for how much you need to know about sailing; we let anyone give it a try. A few years ago, I had a student join who had never touched a sail before, and he got so good, that he went on to sail at one of the best college sailing teams in the country, so it is really all about hard work,” Kamilar said.

The sailors scored a good number of points during their season, placing first out of 18 teams in two of the events at Jensen Beach and USF. They hoped to be in the top seven rank to earn a place in the district championships.

“I really hope we get to districts, because as team captain, it would be amazing to know that I helped my team get there, and I feel like we all really deserve it,” senior Leopold Seuss said.

Story by Andrea Lahrssen