Seniors Abby Reams and Rory Trosclair were finalists in the Drew Brees Foundation “Trust Your Crazy Ideas Challenge,” placing among the 20 groups narrowed down from 400 applicants. The Challenge inspires students to dream of starting their own business through participation in Junior Achievement’s Catalyst, a 5 session program that guides the students through elements of a business model; developing a business solution that will make a difference in their community or answer a need in the marketplace; submitting their business plans for a first-judging round narrowed down to semi-finalists who are mentored by local entrepreneurs and community leaders during an intensive JA Accelerator workshop held over eight weeks at Junior Achievement’s facility to provide a platform to not only inspire students to anticipate and solve problems, but also develop entrepreneurial and management skills. With the mentor’s guidance, the teams improve their public speaking and presentation skills while providing real-world networking opportunities; gaining proficiency in entrepreneurship and business soft skills to advance students from high school to higher education and beyond. In addition to all the students gain through the Challenge experience, the top four teams and their schools also receive educations funds.