Posted on Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Ashley Carnahan, a ¾¨Ó㴫ý junior business administration major, won the 2008 David W. Edward Entrepreneurship Scholarship competition.
The competition, conducted by ¾¨Ó㴫ý's Department of Economics and Business and supported by funding from the Edward Trust in Youngstown, Ohio, requires students to prepare and present a business plan depicting the creation of a new or substantially improved business, product, service, or some combination of the three.
Carnahan's business plan detailed the start-up of a bakery with a neighborhood atmosphere in the professional business area of downtown Greensburg, her hometown. Her plan presented a market analysis of the competition and the potential customer base relative to its location, and summarized her expectations with a detailed financial projection covering the first three years of operation.
Carnahan is a daughter of Nick and Barbara Sedunov of Greensburg and a graduate of Greensburg-Salem High School.
The other competition finalists were:
Jessica Hickman, a junior international business major, earned second place for a plan for a hostel and restaurant in Emlenton along the Allegheny River Rails to Trails bike trail. Hickman is a daughter of Dennis and Jane Hickman of Emlenton and a graduate of Allegheny-Clarion Valley High School.
Kyle Pierce, a sophomore business administration major, earned third place with a plan to market a point-of-service software and hardware system for restaurants to improve efficiency, information flow, inventory control, and security. Pierce is a son of John and Sandra Pierce of North Canton, Ohio, and a graduate of Green High School.
"All three plans and their presentations displayed a great deal of thought, thorough investigation, and substantial knowledge of their business environment," said David Smith, ¾¨Ó㴫ý assistant professor of accounting.
Contact Smith at (724) 946-7161 (e-mail smithdc@westminster.edu) or Dr. Gail Miller, ¾¨Ó㴫ý professor of business, at (724) 946-7168 (e-mail millergl@westminster.edu) for additional information.Â
