The National Federation of Independent Business’ Young Entrepreneur Foundation today announced the recipients of the 13th annual NFIB Young Entrepreneur Awards, a scholarship program designed to reward and encourage entrepreneurial talents among high school students.
“America’s young people have caught the entrepreneurial bug, and we could not be more confident in our next generation of business owners,” said Molly Young, director of the Young Entrepreneur Foundation. “We are impressed year after year with the quality of these hard-working, innovative high school students who are making their entrepreneurial dreams happen.”
The 2015 YEF Award winners from Oklahoma is Forrest Hull, Jenks High School, winner of the $1,000 NFIB/Harold Cogman Young Entrepreneur Award. Forrest owns Forward Designs, a jewelry business, and plans to attend Oklahoma State University.
“We’re proud to support Forrest,” said Jerrod Shouse, state director of NFIB/Oklahoma, the state’s leading small-business association. “It’s hard for anyone to start a business and keep it going, but it’s even harder when you have homework.”
In addition, the Young Entrepreneur Foundation will honor five students selected as Young Entrepreneurs of the Year Award finalists at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on July 23rd. During the event, the winners of the “2015 NFIB Young Entrepreneur of the Year” and “2015 NFIB Dan Danner Leadership Award” will be named and each awarded a $15,000 scholarship. The remaining three finalists will each receive a $5000.00 scholarship.
“NFIB congratulates this year’s winners for their tremendous accomplishments and hopes the scholarships will assist these young entrepreneurs as they continue on their paths towards successful futures,” Young said.
To qualify for an NFIB Young Entrepreneur Award, students must be seniors in high school who own and/or operate their own small business. They are required to write an essay describing their entrepreneurial endeavors and future goals. NFIB members around the country interview the applicants for the Young Entrepreneur Awards.
To learn more, visit www.NFIB.com/YEF.
