Naperville North students win national STEM and entrepreneurship competition

Four Naperville North High School students received the top award at The Conrad Challenge, a national STEM and entrepreneurship competition.

Arjun Shah, Aditya Dhingra, Jimit Gosar and Nithilan Kalidoss were named Pete Conrad Scholars in the category of Aerospace & Aviation at the Challenge's virtual Innovation Summit last week.

The students, who formed a group called Team EcoAero, beat other high school teams from around the world in a product innovation competition with their creation, AirLyft. AirLyft is a drone that uses retractable wings to fly faster and longer while carrying a heavier load.

Students recorded a video presentation to explain their business plan for AirLyft after completing market research, prototyping and go-to-market plans. The students also answered a series of questions from judges.