FLORENCE – Winners have been named in the 2021 Shoals Spark competition that, this year, took place via Zoom. The participants, who were divided into elementary, middle, and high school categories, vied for monetary prizes and recognition of their ideas.
This year’s winners are:
• High school: Lexington High School students Destiny Campbell, Rachel, Ingram, Sky Moles, Shaun Rivera, Brylee Shook, Matilda Williams, and Victoria Woods, took first place for “Spark Your Imagination.” Second place was awarded to “Museum of Biblical History” by Ryann Moore, of Muscle Shoals High School.
• Middle school: Homeschooled student Ben Brown took first place for “Blocking
Crossing App.” Second place was awarded to Kilby Laboratory Students Wayland
Balentine, Ella Marie Clayton, Rania Griepentrog, Trent Kelly, and Claudia Purser for
“Roaring River Presentation.”
• Elementary school: Harlan Elementary School students Kie-arious Hammer, Anna Grace Hoffman, Jaxson Sears, and Dominic Zaniewski took first place for “Crayon Critics.” Second place was awarded to “Stay Calm and Learn on” by AJ Hunt, of Kilby Laboratory School.
• The crowd favorite winner was the “Community App” idea presented by Owen Flynn, Journey Givens, and Tomas Padgett, of Kilby Laboratory School.
“I am always impressed with the ideas the students generate and present, and this year certainly did not disappoint,” said Mary Marshall VanSant, Director of the Center for Learning and Professional Development through the University of North Alabama College of Business and Shoals Shift representative.
Shoals Spark is an annual idea competition for young students living in the Shoals. It was created to foster innovation and entrepreneurship among young people to generate unique ideas about how to make the Shoals a fun place to live and work.
Shoals Spark is a Shoals Shift event sponsored by Listerhill Credit Union. Shoals Shift
Innovation sponsors include Bank Independent, the Shoals Chamber of Commerce, the Shoals Economic Development Authority, and the UNA College of Business. This event was created to identify those in the Shoals who are on the path to becoming leaders in digital technology.
Media Release/Ms. Michelle R. Eubanks | 256.765.4392
Director
University Communications & Marketing
UNA
