DATE: January 08, 2008

CONTACT: Kim Dawson, (864) 656-0740
dawson@clemson.edu

WRITER: Teresa C. Hopkins, (864) 656-1222
hopkin1@clemson.edu

Upstate students win John Copses Business Scholarship

CLEMSON – Judith Campbell of Pendleton and Ryan Fernandes of Greer have received the 2007 John Copses Business Scholarship, presented by the Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Clemson University.

The Copses scholarship competition is open to undergraduates who have enrolled in at least one entrepreneurship course at Clemson. Applicants are judged on an essay in which they describe why they are interested in entrepreneurship and how they expect their entrepreneurship coursework at Clemson to contribute to their future endeavors. This year, 15 students competed for the scholarship. Campbell and Fernandes tied for first place based on scores from four faculty judges. They each will receive a $1,000 scholarship through an annual scholarship donation of $500 from John Copses that is matched with $500 from the Spiro Institute.  

Campbell’s essay recounted her experience growing up on the mission field in Spain and her early forays into business to earn spending money. She and a friend had a baking business, then “came to the conclusion that baking was expensive and time-consuming,” so they closed the baking business started a children’s party business for which they could charge by the hour and minimize up-front costs. The freedom to make decisions and chart her own course are the most appealing aspects of entrepreneurship for Campbell, and her goal in life is to be a successful entrepreneur who can support missionary families and charitable organizations that encourage entrepreneurship.

Fernandes’ essay also drew from his entrepreneurial experiences, including starting an indoor soccer program at Clemson and campaigning for student body president. Fernandes compared his political campaign to an entrepreneurial venture based on parallels that included investing his own money and seeking an additional $800 in angel investment from his friends, as well as motivating his campaign team. Fernandes plans to apply to graduate business school in order to better understand the business aspects of science and technology enterprises and complement his undergraduate biochemistry degree.