DreamQuest, West Virginia’s first statewide high school business plan competition, held its awards ceremony in May at the University of Charleston.  

Over 150 students participated in the competition that started last October, culminating on May 8, 2003 when the top five student teams competed for a first place prize of $10,000. A panel of six judges scored each team’s presentation and business idea during the day. Students, teachers and business community sponsors, who advised the teams, all shared in the prize money.  

The following winners were announced:  

1st Place - Red Star (Chris Hickok, Brittany Matics,Samuel Phipps, Susan Rice-Teacher), Academy of Careers and Technology, Beckley - $10,000; 2nd Place - L and M (Lindsey Kelso, Jeanni Gurtler-Teacher), Mineral County Vocational and Technical School, Keyser - 5,000; 3rd Place - Extreme Dreamers (Tristan Knight, Stefan Harris, Michael Murray-Teacher), United Technical Center, Clarksburg - $2,500; 4th Place - Red Legion (Kevin Cavender,Tim Beasley-teacher,Bruce Cavender-angel), Capitol High School, Charleston - $1,000; 5th Place - Sweet Sports Center (Casey Williams,Paul Sweet, Chris Hall-teacher, Sue King-angel), Greenbrier East H.S., Lewisburg - $1,000; 6th Place - W&L, Inc. (Ben Love, Steven Wright, Christina Wright-teacher), Oak Hill High School, Oak Hill - $1,000; 7th Place - Greenbrier Timber and Land Development (Josh Higginbotham, Jarrod Fleshman, Daniel Warf,Chris Hall-teacher), Greenbrier East H.S., Lewisburg - $1,000; 8th Place - Community PR (Robert Lowell Williams II,Paula Meadows-teacher), Sherman High School, Seth - $1,000; 9th Place - Off The Hook (Amy Yates, Amanda Cole, Chris Hall-teacher, Reba Mohler-angel), Greenbrier East H.S., Lewisburg - $1,000; and 10th Place - Pizzaazz Popcorn (Sarah Cullers, Kevin Alt, Helena Twigg-teacher), Southbranch Vocational School, Petersburg - $1,000.  

Dreamquest is an opportunity for young West Virginians to become aware and gain knowledge of entrepreneurship. The program was designed to create a real life experience within the educational setting, allowing students to discover what it would be like to generate an idea and build it into a business of their own.  

Dreamquest’s goal is to expand the awareness and build skills of our young citizens at the time when they are exploring the options available to them in work and life.  

This project was sponsored through the collaboration of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, University of Charleston Entrepreneurship Center, West Virginia Development Office – Governor’s Workforce Investment Division and West Virginia Small Business Development Division, West Virginia Department of Education, West Virginia Tech Prep Initiative – Higher Education Policy Commission, the West Virginia Entrepreneurs Forum, West Virginia Public Broadcasting and IdeaGiant.com