ISSUED: 15 April 2024
MEDIA CONTACT: Cecelia Mason
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Shepherd University held the third Annual Business Plan Scholarship Competition on Wednesday, March 27. The competitors who made it to the final round were required to give a presentation of their business plan to the judges.
The goal of the competition is to give high school students a deeper understanding of how the entrepreneurial world works and how to formulate a business plan for better odds of their success. The finalists for the competition were selected based on their business plans readiness, functionality, and overall entrepreneurial vision. This competition was created by Dr. James Dovel, assistant professor of business administration, and his colleagues.
The judges for the competition were Dr. Kathleen Reid, chair and professor of economics; Dr Zahra Pourabedin, assistant professor of business administration; Dr Vahid Biglari assistant professor of accounting; Jonathan Workman, local entrepreneur; Dovel; and students from Dovel’s New Venture class.
Pictured (l. to r.) are Abraham Rios, Logan Wells, Dallas Richardson, and Hunter Mize.
After careful deliberation by the judges, they decided on four finalists:
- Logan Wells, first place, Faith Christian Academy, Martinsburg, West Virginia, with a lawn care and auto detailing business.
- Dallas Richardson, second place, Martinsburg High School, Martinsburg, West Virginia, with a company that cleans up urban cities.
- Hunter Mize, third place, George Washington High, Charleston, West Virginia, with an app to help remove and minimize waste.
- Abraham Rios, fourth place, Jefferson High School, Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia, with a business that offers vintage pop-up stores.
The funding these students will receive will be in the form of scholarships and financial aid for one year with the top prize being $2,000 in scholarships/financial aid for the first-place winner, $1,500 for the second-place winner, and $250 for third and fourth place. Students who choose to major in risk management and insurance or certified financial planning will be eligible to receive another $500 in financial aid every semester.
The scholarships and financial aid that will be given to the competition winners are provided by the College of Business and its alumni, the New Venture Creation class, and Mark Kohn, Owner/CEO of Synthetic Rinks.
The winners will receive scholarships upon admission to Shepherd. If you are interested in helping sponsor the scholarship competition, please email Dovel.
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