Sometimes the most nerve-racking experiences in life can unexpectedly result in a big idea. That was Katherine Paunlagui’s experience – an experience that led to a second-place prize in AACC’s annual Big Idea Competition. Along with the prize, Paunlagui has grown and learned resilience through confronting her fears and limitations along the way.
In the spirit of TV’s “Shark Tank,” the competition offers students a chance to pitch an original idea that solves a problem or creates a convenience to a panel of judges via video.
As a Ratcliffe Scholar, Paunlagui already had a business concept in mind, yet she hesitated to participate in the competition because she has stage fright.
“I may be talkative if I’m already uncomfortable, but I’m scared … facing a lot of people,” she said. With guidance from Associate Professor Stephanie Goldenberg and the Ratcliffe Scholarship mentors, she made her decision to enter the competition.
That nervousness kept Paunlagui from attending the live Big Idea Viewing Party and Awards. “I was in Crofton; I was watching.” Then Paunlagui heard her name called. “… I literally start my car, drove here, 28 minutes and I still caught them! So, they congratulated me. They cheered for me when they saw the video.”
She calls her idea Techies for the Oldies. Techies for the Oldies proposes giving technical education and support to seniors. The idea to combat technological fraud targeting seniors started with her own mother. “They don’t know if it’s a valid link or legit link,” she said. Sometimes her mother will ask if a link is safe to click. “I said, ‘No, don’t press that.’ But, my Mom has me, so what if the other senior doesn’t have someone? That’s my thinking.”
Paunlagui dedicated her idea to her grandmother, with whom she had an especially close relationship in the Philippines. Paunlagui’s grandmother recently passed away, but that relationship inspired her to focus on senior care as she seeks to make her business idea a reality.
Techies for the Oldies resonated well with the judges, resulting in Paunlagui winning second place in the Big Idea Competition, along with $1,000 in prize money to help make her business idea a reality.
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