The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Young Entrepreneur Foundation has announced that two Kansas high school seniors were among the 115 scholarship winners of NFIB’s 15th annual Young Entrepreneur Awards. The program rewards and encourages entrepreneurial talents among high school students who own and operate their own small business.
Paul Kaster, of Leawood, a senior at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, is among five finalists for NFIB’s top two scholarships: the NFIB Young Entrepreneur of the Year and the NFIB Dan Danner Leadership Award. Both are worth $15,000. The remaining three finalists will receive a $5,000 scholarship. The winners will be announced on July 27 at a luncheon in Washington, D.C.
Kassady Griffin, of Strong City, a senior at Chase County Junior/Senior High School, will receive a $2,000 NFIB/Kansas Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award.
“It’s one thing for a student to get a part-time job, but these students found a way to start and run their own businesses while keeping up with their schoolwork,” said Dan Murray, state director of NFIB Kansas, the state’s leading small-business association.
To qualify for an NFIB Young Entrepreneur Award, students must be seniors in high school who own and 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.
