#BRIGHT
Conner Hazelrigg
July 18, 2017
DEFINITION: Full of hope and promise; intelligent.
Every night before you go to bed, you plug your phone in to charge it. In some parts of the world, that’s a luxury they can’t afford. With a little help from Sunshine Electronic Display of St. Joseph, Conner Hazelrigg’s brilliant idea is making those parts of the world a little more connected.
This daily ritual is commonplace in many remote Haitian villages. But on the day that Conner Hazelrigg arrived in one such village, the hardships and struggles of daily life were temporarily forgotten as she produced a small magic box capable of capturing images.
Conner describes her first interaction with the locals as an eye-opening experience for both parties.
“We were the first white people they had ever seen. And we all had our iPhones, which also blew their minds. They were completely in love with the idea of selfies.”
The reason for Conner’s trip goes well beyond expanding horizons. She traveled to deliver her Sunshine Box, a product made possible through her internship at Sunshine Electronic Display in St. Joseph, Missouri.
“I took him my idea of what the Sunshine Box could be. Kendall asked me to come up with the schematics. He immediately had me set up with different people in the manufacturing process… acquiring parts, welding, bending the metal, making sure the computer aided design of it was in place.”
So what exactly is this Sunshine Box and what does it do? Harnessing the solar energy of the sun, the Sunshine Box is able to charge 10 cell phones simultaneously. It sure supersedes the alternative charging methods many Haitians are accustomed to, which includes hooking phones up to car batteries, illegal tap offs, and various other sketchy techniques.
Conner says her ambition coupled with her love of physics is a bi-product of being pushed by two very special people – her dad and one of her teachers at St. Joseph’s Bishop LeBlond High School, Lisa Alkier.
“She just kept pushing me to keep doing more outside of class.”
What started off as a meager three boxes has grown into 20 units that are now in 11 countries spanning four continents, with the most recent Sunshine Boxes going to Thailand, Peru, and Uganda.
Conner hopes to see her boxes in half the countries of the world in the next 10 years. Focused on her goal, she is currently pursuing her MBA in order to better administrate the business side of Sunshine Boxes.
Conner’s drive and problem-solving initiative are true testaments to what can grow from planting the seeds of curiosity and adding a little sunshine.
#FRIENDLY
Across the city, every day, adults are helping clear a path for youth to reach more opportunities. They are sharing their mentoring skills, life lessons and ultimately, their friendship, through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. And it looks like hanging out at the local burger joint. Taking a walk. Joining other “matches” at the park for crafting with a lot of laughs.
#LEADERSHIP
Real change in almost any environment happens from the inside out. And no one knows just how to create the kind of contagious change a community needs like the community members themselves. In St. Joseph, and many communities like it, a revolution is happening around this kind of grassroots-based leadership – and it’s only just begun.
#PATRIOTIC
When you think of St. Joseph you might automatically think of the Pony Express or the historic architecture, but it’s doubtful many St. Joseph residents can picture the city without the big, gray airplanes that routinely fly over town.
#GUMPTIOUS
One of St. Joseph public schools earliest and most successful students, Huston Wyeth, built in 1918-1922 what was considered a very large country estate located northeast of central downtown. It was called Wyethwood.
#ENDURING
When you say St. Joseph, you could say history, the Parkway, just the right-sized town, laid-back attitude… You could also say awesome architecture, and in April, that’s just what many locals, experts, old-house-lovers and guests will be saying too.