With 90 seconds, bravery and a grand idea, Kaitlyn Hill won $500.

On Feb. 12, Hill, junior in agricultural business and economics, spontaneously entered a competition with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). The Iowa State College-by-College Pitch Off took place in Curtis Hall.

Without thinking twice, Hill made the decision to present her idea an hour before the competition was set to begin. When the pitch off originally ended, the judge asked if anyone else not on the list would like to pitch. Raising her hand, Hill volunteered to give her pitch to the crowd. Her pitch, as well as her confidence, impressed all of the judges and awarded her first place.

With an hour of preparation, the judges determined Hill to be the most qualified individual for the prize of $500.

“From the beginning of the pitch to the end, it was very well thought-out,” said Judi Eyles, a judge at the pitch off. “She knew what she was talking about and had a path.”

So, what was the monumental idea that granted interest from the judges and first place? And how exactly did Hill get the idea?

Here’s her story:

Growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, Hill lived her life in the city. But even in the city with hardly any farming, she always found her curiosity peaking when she heard about or spotted agriculture-related things.

Unlike most city kids, Hill had a unique love for agriculture. For instance, she always looked forward to seeing cows grazing on pasture from a car window. Today, she still has a soft spot for cows.

“I don’t think enough people appreciate cows,” Hill said.

Along with the many cows Hill saw through glass, she also noticed corn fields and crops along the side of the road. Agriculture, and how it worked, caught her interest.

“I knew I saw corn on the side of the road, but I didn’t know how it worked or the implications it had,” Hill said.

Hill began to expand her knowledge of the farming life. She worked with Monsanto, an agrochemical company, for two summers. While Hill was working with Monsanto, she noticed that perhaps farmers are not as safe as they need and deserve to be.

“There’s a lot of people in rural fields and they need safety,” Hill said. “I worked two summers with Monsanto and saw from personal experience that my idea would help keep workers safe.”

Hill’s idea revolves mainly around the safety of farmers and allowing them to work long hours while having no worries about their safety.

“Since field workers typically have such long hours, by the time anyone thinks something is wrong it’s too late,” Hill said.

But Hill’s idea can protect farmers from being miles away from contact with others.

Hill’s idea is called the Infield Finder. The Infield Finder would be portable, and farmers could wear it on their belt or clip it to their shirt. If a farmer was hurt, lost or in any need of help, the farmer could simply push a button on the Infield Finder and help would be contacted.

With a GPS tracker inside of the Infield Finder, it could help track the location of the farmer and come to the rescue.

“Think of it as the life alert of field work,” Hill said.

Hill also pointed out that for bigger companies with more employees, it is hard to keep track of them all and keep them safe.

“Employers need something like this, especially large companies to keep their employees safe,” Hill said.

After presenting the idea of the Infield Finder to judges at the pitch off and winning, Hill was amazed.

“I came here right after my English class,” Hill said. “The hour before the competition I was in class and wrote down what I would say for my pitch.”

Before Hill’s English class, Kevin Kimle, the Rastetter chair of agricultural entrepreneurship suggested she should present her idea at the competition. So, Hill prepared throughout class and showed up to the competition with a paper and a pitch.

Hill has always had a knack for public speaking, a critical quality for a pitch off.

“Katie and I have taken several classes together at Iowa State. I’ve heard her speak several times,” Jacob Eilers, a junior in agricultural business said. “She’s good at researching and effectively getting her point across even when she’s speaking a bit on the fly.”

Now, Hill is preparing for the upcoming competition on March 6. The Innovation Pitch Competition offers up to $3000 in cash prizes for the winner.

“I’m nervous to give my pitch for this competition, but overall I am very excited,” Hill said. “This time, I will be a lot more prepared.”