Student Entrepreneur of the Year Competition Announced

PROVO, Utah — Sep 26, 2005 — Securing thousands of dollars in capital for a new business and preparing a term paper for an English 315 class is multitasking on another level. For those over achievers who juggle starting a business venture while in college, the Center for Entrepreneurship has a proposition for you.

BYU’s 14th annual Student Entrepreneur of the Year competition will offer winners more than $40,000 in cash and in-kind services from supporters of the Center for Entrepreneurship. Winners walk away with capital and resources to start their businesses.

Students from all majors are encouraged to apply for the competition; applications are due Sept. 28 at 2 p.m. in 470 TNRB. To apply students must complete an application, submit a short description of their business and fill out a personal qualifications form. The application form and more information are available online at seoy.byu.edu.

Entries go through two rounds of judging: a preliminary round, which selects the top five businesses and the judging round, done by professional entrepreneurs. The student competition is the pillar event through which many venture capitalists and entrepreneurs are introduced to students and their companies.

“The SEOY is a tremendous opportunity for students to showcase their successful entrepreneurial ventures, receive first class mentoring from proven business leaders and be recognized both financially and professionally for their demonstration of innovation, skill, work habits, persistence, personal dedication and sacrifice,” says Scott Petersen, Center for Entrepreneurship founder.

To see a business opportunity and seize it takes character, valor and an atypical approach to the obvious.

“The Student Entrepreneur of the Year competition benefited me by putting me in contact with other successful entrepreneurs, mentors and founders who helped me with ideas and problem-solving solutions for my business. Still to this day I stay in contact with one of my mentors from the competition,” says Justin Kent, owner of Uniglass and recent SEOY winner.

The Student Entrepreneur of the Year competition began in 1992 as a way for the Center for Entrepreneurship to recognize students who start their own businesses while in school. It is hosted by the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization. Past winners include the founders of DearElder.com, Nickelcade, The Quarry and DownEast Outfitters.

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems, organizational behavior and entrepreneurship. The school’s mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School’s graduate and undergraduate programs.