Thirteen Mount Carmel Academy students across five teams have been selected as finalists in this year’s Trust Your Crazy Ideas Challenge, an entrepreneurial competition presented through a partnership between Junior Achievement of Louisiana and the Brees Dream Foundation.

The competition is open to high school students who have completed the JA Be Entrepreneurial curriculum and challenges them to turn a “crazy” business idea into a viable, real-world solution. With guidance from Junior Achievement, students develop, refine, and pitch their concepts for a chance to win prize money and advance to the state level.

At the regional level, the first-place team receives $5,000 and advances to compete for $10,000 at the state finals. Second- and third-place teams, as well as runners-up, receive $2,500.

This year, Mount Carmel Academy students impressed judges with innovative, thoughtful, and practical ideas, earning five finalist spots:

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Avery Hostream and Brooklyn Bulinger – SafeSip
SafeSip is a discreet ring that tests drinks for common drink-spiking drugs. It also connects to an app for logging tests and sending alerts.

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Caroline Zimmermann, Olivia Klibert, and Avery Dugas – ClassConnect
ClassConnect is an app that connects students with tutors and tutees locally and nationwide. Students can get help or earn money by tutoring others.

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Isabella Adams and Alexis Gray – Pothole Pal
Pothole Pal is a GPS-based system that shows pothole locations and severity. It helps drivers avoid damage, especially in unfamiliar areas.

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Laylah England, Isabella Hymel, and Riley Boh – SyncBoard
SyncBoard syncs multiple smart boards so content appears on every screen. This ensures all students can see and participate equally.

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Marley Bordelon, Eliza Daigle, and Madison Thompson – Power Pouch
Power Pouch is a pencil pouch with a built-in battery pack. It charges devices when outlets are unavailable.

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