Sacramento State Students Pitch Solutions To World Problems

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Sacramento State students are being pressured to solve major world problems in 15 minutes or less as part of the first Strong 2016 problem-solving competition.

It's the university's version of Shark Tanks. Dozens of students pitch promising ideas to local employers.

"Students are asked to present a problem and solution within their major or their career field," said Haley Myers-Dillon.

The prize is $1,000 or even a job opportunity. And there are some heavy-hitters in attendance.

"From Raley's, from Golden 1, from the inter tribal council of California," she said.

Oke Junior is a senior at Sacramento State. The mass communications major lived on the troubled streets of East Oakland, but with the help of demanding mentors and hard-earned scholarships, he's just a year from his bachelor's degree. He expresses his difficult journey through music.

He hopes his message of hard work and never giving up strikes a note with the judges and teens. He wants them to sponsor his Dare 2 Be Different brand. His goal is to sell the T-shirts to pay for college scholarships for Oakland high school students who are still trapped in the vicious cycle of poverty and crime.

He believes education offers a doable solution to a lingering problem.

The winner will be announced on Saturday.