Glenville State College student Barbara Blankenship has advanced to the semi finals of the 2009 Statewide Student Business Plan Competition sponsored by the West Virginia University Entrepreneurship Center. The winners of the competition will be awarded $10,000 to help initiate their business plan.

“I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to represent Glenville State College in the Finals of the competition. Thanks to the support of GSC Professors Cinda Echard and Cheryl McKinney, I felt that I was well prepared for the semi-finals. With their continuing guidance, I believe that my plan has as good a chance as any to win the top prize,” said Blankenship.

Blankenship is a fast track Education major from Braxton County. Her business plan is called ‘The Prison Literacy Program’. Blankenship’s idea is to purchase used paper-back books wholesale, and resell them to prison inmates and their families at a lower price than they could be purchased elsewhere. Blankenship has experience working with the prison system that should be a valuable asset.

The 2009 competition started with ninety entries representing eight West Virginia higher education institutions. After the preliminary round of the competition, the top twenty plans were invited to the semi-final round which was held November 12th in Bridgeport, West Virginia. GSC student Brett Chapman’s ‘Big Horn Tree Brace’ plan also made the semi-finals, but was not chosen for the competition’s final round.

Blankenship and the other finalists now enter a rigorous process of completing a formal business plan. They will be attending a weekend workshop with financial, legal, marketing, and communication professionals. A stipend of $1,000 will be given to each team following the workshop to assist with development expenses. Each team will also be assigned a business coach as a mentor. All finalists are also eligible for a free three-credit hour entrepreneurship course from WVU.

The finals of the 2009 Statewide Student Business Plan Competition will take place on April 18th, 2008, on the campus of West Virginia University, when each team will present their final plan to a panel of judges who will then select the two teams, one in the Life Styles category and one in the Innovation category who will be awarded $10,000 each to help start their business venture.

“We are so excited to see Barbara advance to the finals. Her selection by a panel of venture capitalists, experienced entrepreneurs, high-tech industry leaders, CPA's, and business lawyers validates that Glenville State College is preparing our students to effectively compete at all levels,” said Cinda Echard, GSC Associate Professor of Business.

GSC will be represented in the Business Plan Competition finals for the second time in as many years. Last year GSC Students Bryan Bush, Joshua Meadows, and Lance Hitt made the finals but did not win the competition.

To learn more about the 2008 Statewide Student Business Plan Competition go online at www.be.wvu.edu, or contact GSC Professor Cinda Echard at (304) 462-7361 ext. 7257