Missouri Teens Win $10K for Cosmetology Class Proposal

Four teenagers walked away with $10,000 Thursday night after convincing a panel of judges that beauty school belongs in high school.

Banker Wahlert, Rhiannon Penland, Presttyn Fuston and Miranda Anaya are juniors at Benton High School in St. Joseph, Missouri. They won first place at the Altec Innovation Challenge by proposing something their district doesn't offer: a cosmetology course that teaches hairstyling, makeup application, and nail care as legitimate career preparation.

The competition tasked nine teams of local high schoolers with solving real problems in their schools and community. Judges scored each pitch on creativity, presentation quality, and potential community impact.

"We thought it would be super beneficial for anybody who was looking for that type of job," Penland said. Right now, St. Joseph School District students who want cosmetology training have to seek it elsewhere after graduation, adding time and expense to their career path.

The team almost didn't pursue the idea. They worried people would dismiss it as "too girly" or assume only girls could benefit from beauty industry training.

"When we first started thinking of this project, we were thinking are people even going to care about this," Anaya said. "As we gave it more attention and really put thought into it, it really just became something that flourished."

Why This Inspires

The beauty and personal care industry employs over 670,000 people across America, with cosmetologists earning median wages around $30,000 annually and top earners making significantly more. Many students graduate high school without knowing this viable career path exists or how to access it.

These four students saw a gap and built a solution. They tackled financial planning, researched equipment needs, and pushed past their own doubts about whether anyone would take them seriously.

Anaya's advice to other young people captures what made their project special: "Even if it seems insignificant to you, there are people out there that will listen to you, that will appreciate what you have to say."

The $10,000 prize money will help fund the program they envisioned. Their win proves that innovation isn't just about technology or engineering, it's about spotting overlooked opportunities that can change lives in your own backyard.