Kent鈥� 鈥婼tate鈥� 鈥婾niversity鈥� 鈥媠tudents鈥� 鈥媟ecently used University Library elevators to compete in the fifth annual LaunchNET Elevator Pitch event. 鈥婽he鈥� 鈥媏vent,鈥� 鈥媓osted鈥� 鈥媌y鈥� 鈥婰aunchNET鈥� 鈥婯ent鈥� 鈥婼tate,鈥� 鈥媑ives students鈥� 鈥�90 seconds to鈥� 鈥媝itch鈥� 鈥媋鈥� 鈥媌usiness鈥� 鈥媔dea鈥� or their personal skills 鈥媡o鈥� 鈥媋鈥� 鈥媝anel of鈥� 鈥媕udges鈥� 鈥媐or鈥� 鈥媡he鈥� 鈥媍hance鈥� 鈥媡o鈥� 鈥媤in鈥� 鈥媝rize鈥� 鈥媘oney.
This event鈥� 鈥嬧€媓as鈥� 鈥媋lways鈥� 鈥媌een鈥� 鈥媓eld鈥� 鈥媔n鈥� 鈥媡he鈥� 鈥媗ibrary, but this鈥� 鈥媤as the first time that LaunchNET has occupied the building, having moved its offices there from the Kent Student Center earlier this year. 鈥� 鈥�
Zaria鈥� 鈥媁are鈥�, senior鈥� 鈥媐ashion鈥� 鈥媘erchandising student and LaunchNET鈥� 鈥媠tudent鈥� 鈥媐ellow,鈥� 鈥媓eaded鈥� 鈥媢p鈥� 鈥媡he鈥� 鈥媝lanning for鈥� 鈥媡he鈥� 鈥媏vent.鈥� 鈥婮udging鈥� 鈥媡he鈥� 鈥媠tudents鈥欌€� 鈥媏levator鈥� 鈥媝itches鈥� 鈥媤ere鈥� 鈥�Kristin鈥� 鈥媁illiams,鈥� 鈥媏xecutive鈥� 鈥媎irector鈥� of Career鈥� 鈥婨xploration鈥� 鈥媋nd鈥� 鈥婦evelopment;鈥� 鈥�Rachel鈥� 鈥婳'Neill,鈥� 鈥媘arketing鈥� 鈥媘anager鈥� 鈥媜f鈥� 鈥婼egmint鈥� 鈥婭nc.鈥�, Kent State alumna and鈥� 鈥媐ormer鈥� 鈥媠tudent鈥� 鈥媐ellow;鈥� 鈥媋nd鈥� 鈥�Marjorie鈥� 鈥媁achowiak,鈥� 鈥媗ecturer鈥� 鈥媔n鈥� 鈥婯ent State鈥檚 School of Fashion鈥� 鈥婦esign鈥� 鈥媋nd Merchandising. 
Two鈥� 鈥�$400鈥� 鈥媝rizes鈥� 鈥媤ere鈥� 鈥媋warded鈥� 鈥媐or鈥� 鈥婤est鈥� 鈥婸ersonal鈥� 鈥婸itch鈥� 鈥媋nd鈥� 鈥婤est鈥� 鈥婤usiness鈥� 鈥婸itch to鈥� 鈥�Julia鈥� 鈥婬azel, junior communication鈥� 鈥媠tudies major (pictured above), and鈥� 鈥�Anne鈥� 鈥婼koch, senior 鈥媐ashion鈥� 鈥媘erchandising major,鈥� 鈥媟espectively. Tanaka鈥� 鈥婱upinga鈥�, biology graduate 鈥媠tudent, 鈥媤on鈥� 鈥�$200鈥� 鈥媋s鈥� 鈥媋鈥� 鈥婤usiness鈥� 鈥婸itch鈥� 鈥媟unner-up.鈥� 鈥�
鈥嬧€淧articipating鈥� 鈥媔n鈥� 鈥婰aunchNET鈥檚鈥� 鈥婨levator鈥� 鈥婸itch鈥� 鈥媤as鈥� 鈥媋鈥� 鈥媙erve-racking,鈥� 鈥媦et exhilarating鈥� 鈥媜pportunity鈥� 鈥媡o鈥� 鈥媝resent鈥� 鈥媘y鈥� 鈥媌usiness,鈥� says Ms. Skoch鈥�, reflecting鈥� 鈥媜n鈥� 鈥媡he event. 鈥淚鈥� 鈥媤orked鈥� 鈥媓ard鈥� 鈥媡o鈥� 鈥媍reate鈥� 鈥媋鈥� 鈥媝itch鈥� 鈥媐or鈥� 鈥媡his鈥� 鈥媏vent that鈥� 鈥媡ruly鈥� 鈥媏xemplified鈥� 鈥媋ll鈥� 鈥媋spects鈥� 鈥媜f鈥� 鈥媘y鈥� 鈥媌usiness,鈥� 鈥媋long鈥� 鈥媤ith鈥� 鈥媘y鈥� 鈥媠tory,鈥� 鈥媔n鈥� 鈥�90鈥� 鈥媠econds.鈥�
鈥淢ost鈥� 鈥媜f鈥� 鈥媡he鈥� 鈥媝articipants鈥� 鈥媤ere鈥� 鈥媙ervous鈥� 鈥媌efore鈥� 鈥媝itching,鈥� 鈥媌ut鈥� 鈥婭鈥� 鈥媡hink鈥� 鈥媘any鈥� 鈥媜f鈥� 鈥媡hem鈥� 鈥媟ealize鈥� 鈥媡hat鈥� 鈥媡hey are鈥� 鈥媝racticing鈥� 鈥媋鈥� 鈥媣aluable鈥� 鈥媗ife鈥� 鈥媠kill,鈥濃€� 鈥媠ays鈥� 鈥�Tabitha鈥� 鈥婱artin, LaunchNET鈥� 鈥媣enture鈥� 鈥媋dvisor.
Best Personal鈥� 鈥婸itch鈥� 鈥媤inner鈥� 鈥婱s. 鈥婬azel鈥� 鈥媏choed鈥� 鈥媡he鈥� 鈥媠entiment.鈥� 鈥�
鈥溾€婣s鈥� 鈥媋鈥� 鈥媕unior,鈥� 鈥媡his鈥� 鈥媍ouldn't鈥� 鈥媓ave鈥� 鈥媍ome at鈥� 鈥媋鈥� 鈥媌etter鈥� 鈥媡ime鈥� 鈥媐or鈥� 鈥媘e鈥� 鈥媋s鈥� 鈥婭鈥� 鈥媍ontinue鈥� 鈥媡o鈥� 鈥媠trengthen鈥� 鈥媋nd鈥� 鈥媋pply鈥� 鈥媤hat鈥� 鈥婭鈥� 鈥媓ave鈥� 鈥媗earned鈥� 鈥媔n鈥� 鈥媡he classroom鈥� 鈥媡oward鈥� 鈥媐uture鈥� 鈥媝rofessional鈥� 鈥媎evelopment鈥� 鈥媋nd鈥� 鈥媍areer鈥� 鈥媜pportunities," Ms. 鈥婬azel says.
Twenty-two students鈥� 鈥媝articipated鈥� 鈥媔n鈥� 鈥媡he鈥� 鈥媍ompetition,鈥� 鈥媋nd鈥� 鈥媋鈥� 鈥媓andful鈥� 鈥媜f鈥� 鈥媜thers鈥� 鈥媍ame鈥� 鈥媡o鈥� 鈥媤atch鈥� 鈥媡he pitches,鈥� 鈥媤hich鈥� 鈥媤ere鈥� 鈥媠treamed鈥� 鈥媐rom鈥� 鈥媡he鈥� 鈥媏levator鈥� 鈥媡o鈥� 鈥媋鈥� 鈥婽V鈥� 鈥媙ear鈥� 鈥媡he鈥� 鈥婰aunchNET鈥� 鈥媜ffice鈥� 鈥媜n鈥� 鈥媡he second鈥� 鈥媐loor鈥� 鈥媜f鈥� 鈥媡he University鈥� 鈥婰ibrary.鈥� 鈥婸articipants鈥� 鈥媤ere鈥� 鈥媍heered鈥� 鈥媋nd鈥� 鈥媋pplauded鈥� 鈥媐or鈥� 鈥媡heir鈥� 鈥媌ravery鈥� 鈥媌y the鈥� 鈥媍rowd鈥� 鈥媋s鈥� 鈥媡hey鈥� 鈥媏ntered鈥� 鈥媋nd鈥� 鈥媏xited鈥� 鈥媡he鈥� 鈥媋rea,鈥� 鈥媤hile鈥� 鈥媟epresentatives鈥� 鈥媐rom鈥� 鈥媡he鈥� 鈥媁riting Commons鈥� 鈥媋nd鈥� 鈥媡he鈥� 鈥婥ase鈥� 鈥媁estern鈥� 鈥婻eserve鈥� 鈥婾niversity鈥� 鈥婭P鈥� 鈥媀enture鈥� 鈥婥linic鈥� 鈥媤ere鈥� 鈥媜n鈥� 鈥媓and鈥� 鈥媡o鈥� 鈥媑ive professional鈥� 鈥媋dvice鈥� 鈥媡o鈥� 鈥媠tudents鈥� 鈥媤hile鈥� 鈥媡hey鈥� 鈥媤aited.
Three鈥� 鈥媋udience鈥� 鈥媋wards鈥� 鈥媤ere鈥� 鈥媑iven鈥� 鈥媜ut:鈥�
- 鈥婱ost鈥� 鈥婨co-Friendly鈥� 鈥媡o鈥� 鈥�Jennifer鈥� 鈥婾ren, junior marketing major, for鈥� 鈥婩abnetics
- Most鈥� 鈥婸olished鈥� 鈥媡o鈥� 鈥�Leonitia鈥� 鈥婱ason 鈥媋nd鈥� 鈥�Chinonso鈥� 鈥婣ladi, both senior鈥� 鈥媐ashion鈥� 鈥媎esign majors,鈥� 鈥媐or鈥� 鈥媀ege-Ride
- Best鈥� 鈥婼ense鈥� 鈥媜f鈥� 鈥婬umor鈥� 鈥媤ent鈥� 鈥媡o鈥� 鈥婮avon鈥� 鈥婱iller, freshman advertising major,鈥� 鈥媐or Bovazi鈥� 鈥婬andcrafted鈥� 鈥婸ens鈥� 鈥媋nd鈥� 鈥婸encils
