Beth

The final round of the Next Big Thing competition is held in the Sanders Theater at Harvard University. It was first used for a Harvard Commencement in 1876. It is a beautiful building, well-known for its acoustics and its beautiful stained-glass window featuring Athena, goddess of wisdom. There are about 1000 people in attendance who will vote and make one of the candidate's dreams come true today.

I am preparing to go onstage. I know how I need to appeal to them. Isaac's words have settled in to my heart, and I feel prepared.

"You really are that naive, aren't you?" a voice says next to me. I don't have to turn to know it is Selena. "It's very simple. If people truly cared that education be equal, they would have come together a long time ago to make it happen. You may call it elitist, but it's a system that works. It's childish to think it will ever change."

I look at Selena and really see her for the first time. Her outer beauty is a shell that houses a soul that is mean and small and afraid.

"You're not going to psych me out," I say. "I know you sabotaged the app, and if you have any shred of decency, you'll tell the judges. But regardless of what you do, I choose to believe there is enough goodness in the world to fix these problems. It doesn't take as much money as people think. What it takes is a clear vision and commitment, and every day I hear of someone new has taken up the cause. Equal access to education will become a reality someday."

I hear my voice being announced. I hear Selena call me something—loser, I think. But her words have no effect on me. I think of my family motto—In ardor tendit. She reaches toward things difficult of attainment. Today I will do that.

Standing at the edge of the stage, I watch the video. It is incredibly well done. Olivia's describes how she felt when she opened her backpack. Her words, the tremor in her voice, the tear that slips down her cheek all pack a powerful emotional punch, and I can tell the judges are deeply affected. The one with the goatee removes his glasses and wipes them off.

My heart feels full as I think of how hard Olivia has worked and how much she has overcome to have the courage to share her experience. Win or lose, I'm looking forward to returning to my lessons with my niece.

The host calls my name and I feel almost disconnected to my body as I walk onstage. The hall is packed, the audience's faces all a blur as I take the microphone and bring it to my mouth.

Taking a deep breath, I present my app. Mike has finished all the improvements, and it works flawlessly as I take them through a tour of BrainRetain. I am elated! I feel like I've come full circle, finally able to communicate the power of the app. Hopefully I will get to work with the folks at Solaire to make it happen.

I close with the following quote by Robert Buck:

"If children can't learn the way we teach, than we have to teach the way they learn."

The applause is deafening as I leave the stage. It feels incredible to come full circle like this, to show what I'm capable of, and for my product to finally shine. Now it's time to leave it in the judge's hands.

Watching the rest of the contestants, I feel like I have a really good shot at winning.

I am most proud of Sophie. I know she's been struggling with her injury. While she's on onstage, though, I see the feisty friend I remember. She is a bit stiff (which is to be expected), but she's warm and funny and more like the old Sophie than she's been since before the accident. Sophie's good, but Snickerdoodle is the star. She is lapping up the attention, strutting around the stage in her metallic suits. I can tell by the audience's reaction at the end that her product is a huge hit.

Once all the contestants have finished and the vote has been gathered, David takes the mic.

"It is my privilege to announce your finalists of the Next Big Thing competition. Your four finalists in no particular order are: Kevin Green in textile for his SneakPics, Sophie Johnson in energy for her Doggy Diva line, Beth Malcolm in education for her BrainRetain app, and Zhang Wei in agriculture for his VertiStack. Will the finalists please join me on the stage?"

I feel like I'm in a dream. Sophie, who is sitting next to me, lets out an excited yelp. I walk up on the stage in a daze as the theater erupts in cheers. This is it. I can't believe it! After all the problems along the way, I actually made it to the final four. That means I beat Selena!

David holds his hand up and the applause dies down. Claire walks up to him and hands him an envelope. This is the moment that matters the most. It's an honor to be one of the finalists, but only one of us will be funded. I think of all the good I could do with my app. My heart is pounding like crazy. I rub my sweaty hands against slacks. Please, please.

"The grand winner of the Next Big Thing competition is ..." he opens the envelope, "Sophie Johnson with her Doggy Diva line! Congratulations Sophie. You will be working with us at Solaire Enterprises to develop and distribute your product. We couldn't be more thrilled to have you on board."

Sophie looks stunned. The crowd whoops and cheers.

I feel an intense disappointment for a moment. I won't be funded after all! But the crushing feeling is followed quickly by an overwhelming sense of peace and happiness for Sophie. I wrap her in a big hug. It will be so good for her to have a new focus after the devastating accident.

Cole bounds onto the stage and gently sweeps Sophie and Snickerdoodle up in his arms. He's clearly crazy about her, and it looks like this is a relationship that she might actually stick with. He sets Sophie down, then turns toward me and gives me a congratulatory hug. I suppose now that he's dating my best friend, I better work on getting used to him. Besides, Cole may have been hard on me, but he did make my product better, and for that I'm grateful to him.

I am receiving words of congratulation from everyone around me, and although I'm grateful, I just want to get away and see how Mimi is doing.

____________

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So did anyone predict this outcome to the Next Big Thing contest? How are we all feeling?

This is the Sanders Theater, where the final round of the Next Big Thing contest is held. It is often used for music concerts. I can only imagine how nervous Beth must be standing in the middle of that stage.

This is the Athena stained glass window in that building.

Sanders Theater is located in Memorial Hall. Here's a picture of the building from our recent trip to Cambridge.

I wanted to share this cool video with you. The finalist for the textile invention (SneakPics) is based on a prototype that a company called Shiftwear is developing - sneakers that give you creative control by allowing you to choose designs on your phone app and have them instantly display on your sneakers. Here's a video about them. I hope they are successful because this would be really cool!

https://youtu.be/O5XhzmjUVnk

So Sophie's winning entry combines two big ideas. The first is cute designs that protect the dog, similar to this jacket by DogHelios that can withstand hurricane force winds and extreme hot or cold temperatures. 

Now here's what makes Sophie's designs unique. She and Isaac have placed a pocket in the outfit to save up the dog's kinetic energy in a charger.

This is an example of the Ampy charger attached to a dog's collar. Considering these devices cost over $90, I would be nervous it might fall off. That's the great thing about a pocket that can be securely latched shut. The charger works by using a magnet sliding back and forth inside a coil to convert kinetic energy (movement) into electrical energy. Any type of movement will work. 

These three engineering students at Northwestern university invented the Ampy. They are hoping someday that technology will be incorporated into the development of electronic devices, making them self-charging.

You don't have to use the charge right away. The Ampy will store up to a week's worth of movements, ready to charge your phone whenever you need it. If you're like me, I'm always running out of charge on my phone. I love the idea of not having to find an outlet to plug into. 

These charger pockets can be incorporated into reflectivewear for dogs, or even used in this Yorkie leather bomber or formal wear. 

And since Snickerdoodle has mastered the demure over the shoulder gaze, I have to share one more.

Tell me, could you have resisted voting for that? Work it Snickerdoodle!

Dedication for this chapter goes out to several dedicated readers - OwainGlyn, Fairytale_Fabler, RedHarvey, GoofyLOL, reading_freak, Khalsi, and TheDamnedLuna. Thank you so much for your support of RESTLESS HOPE. I appreciate you!