2005 Free Enterprise Scholars Award Recipients
The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation has awarded 381 scholarships to future entrepreneurs with the 2005 NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Awards, a scholarship program to set future small-business owners on the path to entrepreneurship. The Free Enterprise Scholars will attend the university, college, community college, or vocational/technical institute of their choice with $1,000 in tuition assistance from the NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation. The scholarships are supported by the Foundation's endowment, and by many small-business leaders, corporations and foundations nationwide.
Major sponsors include Visa USA, which donated $100,000 in scholarship money, including a special $10,000 "Youth Entrepreneur of the Year" award given to Richard Jensen of Chippewa Falls, Wis. The founder and owner of Maille Time, a chain maille apparel company, Jensen plans to attend the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Select a state to see winners.
Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming
| Alabama | ||||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Joshua Meeks | Pell City, Ala. | Pell City High School | Samantha Money | Headland, Ala. | Headland High School | |
| NFIB/Phyllis Kennedy Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Mitchell Tarver, Jr. | Clayton, Ala. | Clayton High School | ||||
| NFIB/VISA USA Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Jackson Vaughan | Birmingham, Ala. | Mountain Brook Senior High School |
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| Alaska | ||||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Rory Egelus | Palmer, Alaska | Palmer High School | ||||
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| Arizona | ||||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Eric Anderson | Phoenix, Ariz. | Christian Alf | Tempe, Ariz. | Tempe High School | ||
| Amber Burge | Kingman, Ariz. | Kingman High School North | Daniel Martell | Chandler, Ariz. | Hamilton High School | |
| Brendan McCarthy | Gilbert, Ariz. | Seton Catholic High School | Sarah Williamson | Scottsdale, Ariz. | Saguaro High School | |
| NFIB/Lafferty Electric Free Enterprise Scholars Award | NFIB/Lori S. Daniels Free Enterprise Scholars Award | |||||
| Sally Hernandez | Chandler, Ariz. | Hamilton High School | Jaren Longmire | Chandler, Ariz. | Hamilton High School | |
| NFIB/VISA USA Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Meghan Burns | Phoenix, Ariz. | Mountain Pointe High School | Dana Exline | Chandler, Ariz. | Hamilton High School | |
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| Arkansas | ||||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Adrianne Caspari | Little Rock, Ark. | Bryant Senior High School |
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| California | ||||||
| NFIB/VISA USA Free Enterprise Scholars Award - Western Region Winner | ||||||
| Jacqueline Laird | Sunnyvale, Calif. | Homestead High School | ||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Arisha Bhaga | San Diego, Calif. | Mira Mesa High School |
Wesley Carlson | Kingsburg, Calif. | Kingsburg High School | |
| Tyffany Chen | Westlake Village, Calif. | Westlake High School | Ria Cleland | Palm Desert, Calif. | Palm Desert High School | |
| Domenic Donato | Lancaster, Calif. | Paraclete High School | Ran Fan | South Pasadena, Calif. | South Pasadena High School | |
| Joseph Grassia | Granite Bay, Calif. | Del Oro High School | Adrienne Karalius | Fremont, Calif. | John F. Kennedy High School | |
| Roger Ling | Walnut, Calif. | Walnut High School | Janelle Look | Milpitas, Calif. | Milpitas High School | |
| Michael Mitchell | Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. | Palos Verdes Peninsula High School | Laura Reynolds | Oakley, Calif. | Liberty High School | |
| Johnathon Santopadre | Vacaville, Calif. | Vacaville High School | Jena Silva | Gridley, Calif. | Gridley High School | |
| NFIB/VISA USA Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Wesley Henderson | Arbuckle, Calif. | Pierce High School | Jenna Moreci | San Carlos, Calif. | Carlmont High School | |
| William Schuh | Lemoore, Calif. | Lemoore High School | Dallas Woodburn | Ventura, Calif. | Ventura High School | |
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| Colorado | ||||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Landon Bergner | Holyoke, Colo. | Holyoke High School | Amanda Eklund | Eckert, Colo. | Cedaredge High School | |
| Edward Leshinski | Golden, Colo. | D'Evelyn | Garrett Markus | Ordway, Colo. | Crowley Co High School | |
| Nicole Santorno | Highlands Ranch, Colo. | Littleton High School | Scott Varley | Castle Rock, Colo. | Douglas Co High School | |
| NFIB/El Pomar Foundation Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Christine Buczek | Firestone, Colo. | Frederick High School | Keri Byczkowski | Sterling, Colo. | Sterling High School | |
| Jamin Kimmell | Colorado Springs, Colo. | Wasson High School | Kaleena Mayer | Brighton, Colo. | Brighton High School | |
| Jessie McVicker | Berthoud, Colo. | Berthoud High School | Trae Miller | Atwood, Colo. | Merino Jr./Sr. High School | |
| Kenneth Nygaard | Colorado Springs, Colo. | Thomas B. Doherty High School | Alyse Record | Cedaredge, Colo. | Cedaredge High School | |
| Bradley Rice | Colorado Springs, Colo. | Air Academy High School | Emily Seim | Glade Park, Colo. | Fruita Monument High School | |
| NFIB/Snyder & Pehkonen Free Enterprise Scholars Award | NFIB/Tim Jackson Free Enterprise Scholars Award | |||||
| Silas Gartin | Merino, Colo. | Merino Jr./Sr. High School | Nicole Baran | Wheat Ridge, Colo. | Lakewood Senior High School | |
| NFIB/VISA USA Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Brandon Baker | Cedaredge, Colo. | Baker Academy | Robert Wood | Carbondale, Colo. | Basalt High School | |
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| Connecticut | ||||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Kimberly Cogswell | Norwalk, Conn. | Andrew Kenyon | East Hartford, Conn. | East Hartford High School | ||
| Xue Feng Liu | Uncasville, Conn. | Montville High School | James Tickey | Shelton, Conn. | Shelton High School | |
| Todd Tilton | Pawcatuck, Conn. | Stonington High School | ||||
| NFIB/Kevin Clark Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Nicole Carlotti | Norwalk, Conn. | Brien McMahon High School | ||||
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| Delaware | ||||||
| NFIB/MBNA Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Courtney Streett | Wilmington, Del. | St. Andrew's School | ||||
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| Florida | ||||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Keisha Cason | Brooksville, Fla. | Central High School | Christopher Cianfaglione | Naples, Fla. | Barron G. Collier High School | |
| Kathryn Clark | Bradenton, Fla. | Hope Presbyterian High School | Jamie Goldman | Cooper City, Fla. | Cooper City High School | |
| Laxmi Lalwani | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. | Fort Lauderdale High School | Raquel Langford | Mount Dora, Fla. | Mount Dora High School | |
| Atikur Motiwala | Kissimmee, Fla. | Gateway High School | Ashley Stauffer | Jupiter, Fla. | Jupiter High School | |
| Karen Swetland | Cooper City, Fla. | Cooper City High School | Luke Taylor | Mount Dora, Fla. | Mount Dora High School | |
| Robert Wallace | Orlando, Fla. | University High School | ||||
| NFIB/VISA USA Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Steven Bailey | Fort Walton Beach, Fla. | Fort Walton Beach High School | Roxanne Bras | Celebration, Fla. | Gateway High School | |
| John Messamore | Niceville, Fla. | Niceville Senior High School | ||||
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| Georgia | ||||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Matt Carswell | Evans, Ga. | Greenbrier High School | Jessica Gallup | Buford, Ga. | Heritage Academy | |
| Voravut Tangpisuthipongsa | Augusta, Ga. | ARC High School | ||||
| NFIB/MBNA Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Christopher Parker II | Tucker, Ga. | Tucker High School | ||||
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| Idaho | ||||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Shiloh Armstrong | Pocatello, Idaho | Pocatello High School | Kimball Arritt | Rexburg, Idaho | Madison Senior High School | |
| Jennifer Burns | Boise, Idaho | Capital High School | Kellen Christensen | Boise, Idaho | Boise High School | |
| Jason Hahn | Idaho Falls, Idaho | Idaho Falls Sr. High School | Jacqueline Law | Eden, Idaho | Valley School | |
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| Illinois | ||||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Alicia Clayton | Alton, Ill. | Alton High School | Anthony Cohorst | Effingham, Ill. | Effingham High School | |
| Lacey Feezel | Brownstown, Ill. | Brownstown Jr./Sr. High School | Christopher Hassen | Sherman, Ill. | Williamsville High School | |
| Nathan Holmer | Plainfield, Ill. | Plainfield High School | Aric Hotchkiss | Effingham, Ill. | Effingham High School | |
| Krasimira Hristova | River Grove, Ill. | East Leyden High School | Kathryn Jenks | Belleville, Ill. | Althoff Catholic High School | |
| Jacob Mitchell | Colchester, Ill. | West Prairie High School | Kellen Vail | Macomb, Ill. | Macomb Jr./Sr. High School | |
| NFIB/JK Creative Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Melissa Doellman | Quincy, Ill. | Quincy Notre Dame High School | Emily Tignor | Fowler, Ill. | Quincy Senior High School | |
| NFIB/Lloyd E. Falconer Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Samantha Dwyer | Elgin, Ill. | Streamwood High School | Michael Reddersdorf | Marengo, Ill. | Marengo Community High School | |
| NFIB/VISA USA Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Mark Boerckel | East Moline, Ill. | United Township High School | ||||
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| Indiana | ||||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Dustin Craig | Plainfield, Ind. | Plainfield High School | John Gordon | Bluffton, Ind. | Norwell High School | |
| Amy Haag | Washington, Ind. | Washington High School | Thomas "TJ" Kelley | Kokomo, Ind. | Western High School | |
| David Keyser | Goshen, Ind. | Northridge High School | Adam Weinkauf | Elkhart, Ind. | Jimtown High School | |
| Diana Zelikovich | Indianapolis, Ind. | North Central H.S. | ||||
| NFIB/Edward J. Bowman Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Robert French | Zionsville, Ind. | Zionsville Cmty High School | ||||
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| Iowa | ||||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Jesse Dodds | Montrose, Iowa | Central High School | Adam Kaduce | Urbandale, Iowa | Urbandale High School | |
| Ashley Kitzman | Beaman, Iowa | BCLUW High School | Nicole Olson | Muscatine, Iowa | Muscatine High School | |
| NFIB/VISA USA Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Nicholas Compton | Strawberry Point, Iowa | Starmont High School | Andrew Knight | Pella, Iowa | Pella Community High School | |
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| Kansas | ||||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Alex Gottlob | Winfield, Kan. | Winfield High School | Zachary Oswald | Hutchinson, Kan. | Hutchinson High School | |
| Zachary Turner | Auburn, Kan. | |||||
| NFIB/Midway Sales and Distributing Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Matthew Heinrich | Berryton, Kan. | Shawnee Heights Senior High School | ||||
| NFIB/VISA USA Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Stephen Heimsoth | Shawnee, Kan. | Shawnee High Magnet Academy | David Voorhees | LaCygne, Kan. | Prairie View Jr./Sr. High School | |
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| Kentucky | ||||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Allison Blackburn | Louisville, Ky. | Du Pont Manual High School | Tiffany Dant | Beech Grove, Ky. | McLean Co. High School | |
| Jarrod "JT" Farley | Henderson, Ky. | Henderson Co. Sr. High School | Jacqueline Jerome | Crestwood, Ky. | South Oldham High School | |
| John Preece | Louisa, Ky. | Lawrence Co. High School | Ryan Ries | Nancy, Ky. | Southwestern High School | |
| Reed Smith | Paducah, Ky. | Paducah Tilghman High School | ||||
| NFIB/VISA USA Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Kenneth Johnson | Louisville, Ky. | Du Pont Manual High School | ||||
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| Louisiana | ||||||
| NFIB/VISA USA Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Emily Christ | Haughton, La. | Haughton High School | ||||
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| Maine | ||||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Brian Parker | Bradford, Maine | Central High School | ||||
| NFIB/VISA USA Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Ryan Crane | Exeter, Maine | Dexter Regional High School | Aaron Gallant | Bangor, Maine | Bangor High School | |
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| Maryland | ||||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Nichole Bryant | Perryville, Md. | Perryville High School | James Duggan | Jefferson, Md. | St. John's at Prospect Hall School | |
| Sandhya Subramanian | Ellicott City, Md. | Centennial High School | ||||
| NFIB/VISA USA Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Moses Esema | Gaithersburg, Md. | Springbrook High School | Michael Kurlancheek | North Potomac, Md. | Thomas S. Wootton High School | |
| Michael White | Upper Marlboro, Md. | Largo High School | ||||
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| Massachusetts | ||||||
| NFIB/VISA USA Free Enterprise Scholars Award - Northeast Region Winner | ||||||
| Simon Tao | Hopkinton, Mass. | Hopkinton High School | ||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Dominick Biocchi | Groton, Mass. | Groton Dunstable Regional High School | Cristina Deleo | Reading, Mass. | Reading Memorial High School | |
| Eric Ditommaso | Scituate, Mass. | Scituate High School | Ashley Ferrara | Kingston, Mass. | Silver Lake Regional High School-Kingston | |
| Monique Parent | Marshfield Hills, Mass. | Marshfield High School | Tara Petitto | Wakefield, Mass. | Wakefield Memorial High School | |
| NFIB/VISA USA Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Michael Diamant | Peabody, Mass. | Peabody Veterans Memorial High School | Ralph Fasano | Braintree, Mass. | Xaverian Brothers High School | |
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| Michigan | ||||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Robert Boerkoel | Fennville, Mich. | Holland Christian School | Adam Dewar | Munger, Mich. | Bay City Central High School | |
| Daniel Kaskinen | Kaleva, Mich. | Brethren Jr./Sr. High School | Kristen Parrish | Grand Rapids, Mich. | Forest Hills Northern High School | |
| NFIB/Michigan AAC Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Jessica Fox | Petoskey, Mich. | Harbor Light Christian School | ||||
| NFIB/Michigan Leadership Council Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Marvis Burns | Detroit, Mich. | Cranbrook School | Mathew Staniszewski | Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. | Grosse Pointe North High School | |
| NFIB/VISA USA Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Laszlo Pinnyei | Edwardsburg, Mich. | Jimtown High School | Amrita Ray | Troy, Mich. | Athens High School | |
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| Minnesota | ||||||
| NFIB Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Kate Bolos | Saginaw, Minn. | Proctor High School | Beth Gion | White Bear Lake, Minn. | White Bear Lake High School South | |
| Angela Schroeder | Rosemount, Minn. | Rosemount High School | Ryan Walsh | Atwater, Minn. | ACGC Jr./Sr. High School | |
| NFIB/Minnesota Leadership Council Free Enterprise Scholars Award | ||||||
| Mitchell Billings | Milaca, Minn. | |||||