NEWS
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Contact: Bruce Conley
Associate Director of College Relations
Phone: (605) 274-5526
Fax: (605) 274-4903
www.augie.edu
March 21, 2007
Augustana Students Finalists in Governor’s Giant Vision Competition
SIOUX FALLS – Augustana students Kelly Patnoe (Rapid City, SD) and Erik Gilbertson (Pierre, SD) have qualified for the final competition in the 2007 Governor’s Giant Vision Student Competition.
South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds and Citibank of Sioux Falls sponsor the competition with the hope of giving South Dakota student entrepreneurs a chance to achieve their dreams.
Students participating in the competition present their ideas, write a business plan, and make a formal presentation. A panel of business experts review all entries and select eight qualifiers. The final competition is scheduled for April 12. At this time the finalists give their presentations and discuss their ideas with seasoned business and financial experts.
The winner will be awarded $5,000. Two second-place awards of $2,500 each will also be presented. Selection of winners is based on a combination of the viability of the business proposal, including considerations of potential competition, likelihood of success, market size, and profitability. Judges will give extra consideration to business proposals that have the potential to advance employment in South Dakota or to advance South Dakota’s economic base.
Each college is asked to hold a preliminary competition and submit the top five plans. Augustana held its preliminary competition in January with 10 participants.
Gilbertson is a senior majoring in professional accountancy and business administration. He is the son of Deborah and David Gilbertson. He and A.J. Franken, who graduated from Augustana in 2006, collaborated on the design of a specialized duck hunting decoy.
Patnoe is a senior majoring in business administration and elementary education. She is the daughter of Jane and Don Patnoe. She invented a protective device for tennis rackets.