Back in middle school, you would tell your friends about inventions to solve a problem. You and your buddies would whisper these new creations in the back of the class while the teacher taught. Many ideas that could have changed the world never came to life.

Nikita Marino is one of the few who makes her ideas reality— she’s just graduating this coming year, and she already owns her own patent.

“The first patent definitely is an accomplishment. The problem and the idea to create a product, the amount of research and work, the long hours, days, and months doing testing, analyzing the results, is so far my most important achievement,” she said.

What could have she been diligently working on for so long?

“FootShell, which highly moisturizes the cracked feet and removes the stinky odors. The plan is to continue the production and sell it more aggressively on Amazon and other e-commerce venues, same as the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory vitamin,” she explained.

Even though financial profit takes time, it is something she loves to worn on. Marino has big picture plans, as primarily her goal is to help others.

“I want to take these creations (like a water purification system with oats to clean rivers and oceans) and make an impact on our world,” she mused.

As successful as she may feel, she believes she is just like anybody, and knows the energy she gives to others is what affects them. Although she may struggle on occasion to consistently provide positive energy, she doesn’t stop improving.

This improvement she seeks is not only as a person, but as a student-athlete here at ILS as well. Her passion is soccer— and it has been a part of her life from a young age.

“I love to play soccer. I’ve played soccer since I could run, and I have always loved the sport. I’ve played on all my school teams, and sophomore year through senior year, I have been on varsity,” she explained.

Now she feels she has come a long way, and even though she knows being a teenager is difficult, she still loves it. She best explained her mindset in these words: “The crisis comes and goes, and your efforts to succeed are what will bring you out to be the best.”

So, there you have it. Nikita Marino: student, athlete, teenager, and business entrepreneur. There is indeed someone who can really do it all!