ShareThisSpringfield — The National Federation of Independent Business Young Entrepreneur Foundation today announced the Illinois recipients of the ninth annual NFIB Young Entrepreneur Awards, a scholarship program designed to reward and encourage entrepreneurial talents among high school students.
The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Award recipients will attend the university, college, community college or vocational/technical institute of their choice with $1,000-$10,000 in tuition assistance from the NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation.
More than 4,500 students nationwide applied for a YEF scholarship this year. And today NFIB is proud to award 131 scholarships to young entrepreneurs across the country thanks to the financial support from numerous small business leaders, corporate and foundation supporters. This year’s major corporate sponsors are Sam’s Club, EMPLOYERS, and SunTrust.
“This year’s scholarship winners represent an incredibly impressive group of young adults. Their ingenuity and ambition prove that entrepreneurship is thriving in high schools today, which is very promising for our nation,” said Dan Danner, NFIB president and CEO. “Today we celebrate the accomplishments of all of our winners. We hope that our scholarships will assist these young entrepreneurs as they continue on their paths towards successful futures.”
State Director Kim Clarke Maischsaid that Illinois’ future depends on the entrepreneurial spirit exemplified by this year’s winners.
“They may not realize it now, but these young people are creating a brighter future not only for themselves, but for their neighbors, their communities and the state of Illinois,” said Maisch.
“Entrepreneurship is the story of America, and we are very proud to support these kids as they pursue their dreams”
In June, NFIB YEF will honor the four students selected as $5,000 scholarships winners and name the “2011 Young Entrepreneur of the Year” who will be awarded a $10,000 scholarship.
To qualify for a YEF Award students must be running their own business. They were required to write an essay describing their entrepreneurial endeavors and future goals. Standardized test scores, GPA, and class rank were also considered in the selection process. NFIB members around the country nominated applicants for the Young Entrepreneur Awards.
The 2011 YEF Award winners from Illinois are:
* David Van Vlierbergen (Algonquin): NFIB/Sam’s Club Young Entrepreneur Award
* Mary McGlynn (Belleville): NFIB/Sam’s Club Young Entrepreneur Award
* Cameron Sparks (Elgin): NFIB/Sam’s Club Young Entrepreneur Award
* Lucas Loresch (Elmhurst): NFIB/Sam’s Club Young Entrepreneur Award
* Darryl Harrell (Flossmoor): NFIB/Sam’s Club Young Entrepreneur Award
* Michael Harmon (Glenwood): NFIB/Kathleen & Richard F. Duffy Young Entrepreneur Award
* Alyssa Griffith (Lee): NFIB/Sam’s Club Young Entrepreneur Award
* Daniel Banas (Lemont): NFIB/Lloyd E. Falconer Young Entrepreneur Award
* Michael Bruno (Plainfield): NFIB/Sam’s Club Young Entrepreneur Award
* James Notari (Winnetka): NFIB/Sam’s Club Young Entrepreneur Award
For more information about NFIB, please visit www.nfib.com/illinois.