Business students who are interested in pursuing a career in entrepreneurship, and would like to take advantage of educational opportunities outside of the classroom, can benefit from participating in national competitions. In addition to gaining further experience in their field, individuals may receive scholarships for their successful presentations during these events.
The National Federation of Independent Business Young Entrepreneur Foundation and Visa have named Shayna Turk as the 2010 Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and awarded her a $10,000 scholarship, which will help pay for her education at the University of Southern California. The organizations also announced the recipients of the National Young Entrepreneur Awards, and gave four students $5,000 each in financial assistance.
Winners were selected based on their demonstration of entrepreneurial success, GPA, class ranking and score on standardized exams. Turk was honored for her role as director of the Shayna Turk's Academy of Rising Starts (STARS), which invites young children in her community to participate in theater performances.
"Small business owners are the backbone of our economy, and, this year's National Young Entrepreneur Award winners should be proud, not only for their entrepreneurial achievements, but for the important contributions they are making to the economy," said Raghav Lal, head of Global Small Business Products at Visa.
Since its inception seven years ago, the foundation has awarded $2.3 million in scholarships to a total of 2,095 high school students nationwide.
