Chapter 17. One Million Dollars

Tessa’s POV

“I’ve been instructed to inform you of an opportunity for upper-level undergraduates.”

Mrs. Tompson says it the way she says everything, like she’s reading a weather report for a city she doesn’t care about. It’s 10:47 on Monday morning. There are three minutes left in Statistics, and half the lecture hall is already zipping backpacks.

“Sit down, Mr. Haller. I’m not finished.”

Mr. Haller sits down.

“Some of you may be aware of this, and some of you may not.” She clicks to a new slide. A black logo, a silver mountain. “Every five years, Blackrock Corporation awards one undergraduate at Cadston a grant of one million dollars to develop an original business concept.”

The room goes quiet. Not polite quiet. Greedy quiet.

“One million,” someone whispers behind me.

“The award is not a prize for a nice idea,” Mrs. Tompson continues. “It is seed funding for a business that the judges believe will survive. Applicants will be evaluate