The ISC Shark Tank presentations, which tool place on the 26th of March 2025, during the hours from 14:00 PM until 17:00 PM of the same day. with 2-4 Sharks, and judges per group of ISC, it allowed seniors to present their final projects.The event was designed to test their public speaking, teamwork, and ability to solve real-world problems.

Shark Tank was more than just a school project. It pushed students to explain their ideas clearly, stay organized, and handle pressure. With only a five-minute maximum to pitch, teams had to be prepared, confident, and ready for tough questions.

“Mentorship is extremely important for guiding students and helping them choose the right project and team,” said Mr. Ari Holsten, ISC teacher and Shark Tank mentor.

Having someone with experience to guide students during their projects made a big difference. Mentors helped students think clearly, organize their ideas, and work better with their groups. They also gave honest feedback to help teams grow.

“Some students think they’re ready just because they made a slideshow. But they really need to practice presenting it,” said Holsten.

Many students learned that creating a good slideshow wasn’t enough. Without practice, even a great idea could fall apart during the presentation. Speaking with confidence and knowing how to explain things clearly was just as important as the content itself.

“The best groups divided work evenly and made sure everyone was involved,” said Holsten.

Working as a team helped students stay organized and motivated. Groups that shared the work fairly were more prepared and had stronger presentations. When everyone had a role, the pitch felt smoother and more complete.

“We were really prepared, so the pressure didn’t affect us too much,” said Emilio Agudelo.

Agudelo’s group took the project seriously from the start. They worked together and practiced many times before their final presentation. This gave them the confidence they needed when it was time to stand in front of the judges.

“We gave each other feedback before the presentation, which helped a lot,” said Agudelo.

But not everything was perfect. After presenting their idea, the group realized it was too big to work in real life. Feedback from the judges helped them think in a more practical way.

“At first, our idea was too big to measure. A judge told us to make it smaller, and that helped us improve,” said Agudelo.

Jeronimo Serrano also led a group that had to adjust its plan. His team wanted to help children in foundations and started by learning more about what they needed.

“We got the idea after visiting some of these foundations with my mom. We wanted to create something simple and helpful,” said Serrano.

Seeing the real problems children faced gave the group inspiration. But they soon learned that trying to solve everything at once wasn’t possible. They had to focus on one specific part to make their project work.

“It was hard to find a solution that was small enough to work,” said Serrano.

To make their idea stronger, they also focused on how they were presenting it. The group asked others for advice and practiced speaking more clearly and confidently.

“We practiced with other people and got tips on how to sound more confident,” said Serrano.

Manuela Villa worked on a project that was also very personal to her. Her group wanted to raise awareness about blood donation, something she had already experienced herself.

“I’m a blood donor myself, and I know how hard it is to find people willing to donate,” said Villa.

Although her group was passionate, they had trouble getting support. Many clinics didn’t have the money to help them, and some said no to their proposal. But the group didn’t stop trying.

“Many clinics said no to us because they didn’t have funding,” said Villa.

They kept reaching out to different clinics and organizations until they found someone who believed in their project. This showed how determined they were to make a difference.

“We didn’t give up—we kept looking until one said yes,” said Villa.

The Shark Tank helped them prepare for these moments. The questions judges asked during the presentation were very similar to the ones they later got in real life.

“The judges asked the same questions the clinics did later. It taught us to be realistic and ready,” said Villa.

The ISC Shark Tank was a challenge that helped students grow. It tested their speaking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. By the end, students didn’t just have a project—they had real experience.

“You must sound convincing and be sure of what you’re saying. That way, people will believe in your project too,” Jeronimo Serrano, said.