High School Student Will Meet Oracle of Omaha

It was an idea born of panic, but one that may win a Colts Neck High School junior a $1,000 grand prize from billionaire Warren Buffett in a national competition.

Alexis Pollitto, 16, will be on her way to Omaha, Neb., on Sunday for a Monday audience with the billionaire tycoon as one of five finalists in Buffett’s “Grow Your Own Business’’ competition.

The national competition encourages kids to come up with new business ideas. Alexis, whose idea for a new kind of swimming pool monitoring system made it through the first rounds of the competition to become one of the top five individual ideas in the country.

Those young entrepreneurs will pitch their ideas to a panel of judges and Buffett. The grand prize winner will be announced this month.

“I’m really, really excited,’’ Alexis said. “I think it’s going to be awesome.’’

The idea for the “Safety Sensor’’ – a system of sensors in a swimming pool similar to a home alarm system that alerts parents of small children if someone has fallen in a pool, potentially saving lives – came to Alexis one day, years ago, when her brother, Vincent, fell in her family pool.

“We were able to help him, but had he stayed under water for a couple more minutes it could have been bad,’’ Alexis said.

Alexis’ idea came to fruition in a Legal/Fiscal theory class. It was developed as an assignment from Lana Inacio, in lieu of a mid-term exam. Her idea was submitted to the contest and Alexis received a call in April letting her know she had made the semi-finals.

Alexis said she has been refining her presentation with help from her teacher. She’s nervous, but feels she’s got a good shot.

“I feel like I’m pretty ready for this,’’ she said.