Pictured: L-R Aarav Motivala, Mathias Levani, Elliott Yi, and Ben Soung, members of the RHS Team VitaFlow, which one first place at the Thomas Edison Pitch Contest on May 13th.
RHS Applied Engineering Club Claims International Victory — First Time Since 2020 — Hours After AP Physics C Exam
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
RIDGEWOOD, N.J. — On May 13, members of the Ridgewood High School (RHS) Applied Engineering Club, competing as Team VitaFlow, captured first place at the prestigious Thomas Edison Pitch Contest, defeating student teams from around the world in a final event held at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange, New Jersey. The victory marks the first time since 2020, when the RHS Lemelson-MIT Solar Aqua Tech InvenTeam claimed top honors, that an RHS Applied Engineering Club team has earned this distinction.
The Thomas Edison Pitch Contest, created by the Edison Innovation Foundation in 2010, challenges students in grades 4–12 to invent solutions to real-world problems and pitch their ideas to a panel of real-life scientists and entrepreneurs. The international competition draws student innovators from across the globe and is held annually at the historic site where Edison himself once worked.
Team VitaFlow consists of seniors Elliott Yi (headed to Princeton University), Aarav Motivala (headed to UC Berkeley), and Ben Soung (headed to Brown University), and junior Mathias Levani. The team previously earned second place at the NJSTEAM Tank competition, demonstrating a consistent record of innovation and excellence. Under the guidance of physics and chemistry teacher Dr. Lillian Labowsky and Mr. Richard Plattel, the team developed a project that the judges deemed exceptional — earning the club its first international first-place finish in five years.
What makes the accomplishment all the more remarkable is the extraordinary day the team endured to achieve it. On the morning of the competition, all four members sat for the AP Physics C examination — one of the most demanding Advanced Placement tests offered in science and engineering. That same afternoon, without missing a beat, the team traveled to West Orange and delivered a presentation that left the judges deeply impressed.
The Applied Engineering Club at Ridgewood High School, directed by Dr. Labowsky and co-club advisor Mr. Richard Plattel, has a long tradition of producing student inventors and engineers who go on to top universities and careers in science and technology. Club members invent technical solutions for real-world problems. Through the process, the club strives to empower students to become responsible, innovative, and socially conscious engineers who contribute meaningfully to their community and the world. The club participates in a range of regional and national competitions, and this latest win reaffirms its place among the nation’s premier high school engineering programs.
The Thomas Edison Pitch Contest is an annual international competition created by the Edison Innovation Foundation to showcase and encourage invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship among students in grades 4–12. The contest culminates in a live final event at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange, New Jersey, where student teams pitch original inventions to a panel of scientists and entrepreneurs. Learn more at www.thomasedisonpitch.org.
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Very cool for these guys