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BHS Junior Christina Guirguis Wins $10,000 Scholarship in State High School Business Plan Competition

By Trina Runner on March 26, 2017 via Connect-Bridgeport.com

It was a very good week to be Christina Guirguis.  On Monday, she earned the top spot in the state for her Start-Up Business Plan at the West Virginia DECA Career Development Conference and Competition and on Saturday, she won a $10,000 scholarship as the 2017 winner of the West Virginia High School Business Plan Competition.
 
Any entrepreneur will tell you that it takes passion, persistence and hard work to succeed.  Those three traits, among others, have been at the forefront of BHS Junior Christina Guirguis’ life with great intensity for the last few months.  In the last week, all her efforts paid off with not one, but two top wins in the state.
 
While attending the Governor’s School for Entrepreneurship last summer, she tested her idea for a gourmet fry food truck at a two-day festival in Huntington. The results were phenomenal, confirming America’s greatest side dish was indeed marketable with a new twist.  After leaving the three-week intensive, Guirguis was determined to make “Stix” a reality and began writing her business plan. 
 
As the November deadline approached for the West Virginia High School Business Plan Competition, Guirguis entered in an effort to put the plan into action and have a shot at the $10,000 scholarship.
 
“I went in with the intention of gaining valuable information from mentors around the state.  I wanted to learn all the ins and outs of how to actually create a gourmet French fry food truck and how realistic my plan was,” said Guirguis.
 
On Saturday, the finalists in the competition presented their business plans to a group of financial specialists, lawyers, and marketing experts.
 
“There were so many good ideas and I could tell the other students from around the state also worked very hard on their ideas,” said Guirguis.  “It was a very stressful day that ultimately ended up amazing.”
 
With much anticipation built up, the judges ruled Guirguis’ “Stix” was the winner of the 2017 West Virginia High School Business Plan Competition, awarding her with a $10,000 scholarship, which she plan to use to pursue her degree at WVU. 
 
“After so many months of working with my coaching team, I was honestly exhausted by the time the final competition took place,” Guirguis said.  Understandably so, since she is also the President of BHS Key Club, volunteers regularly, is an active member of DECA and maintains an impressive GPA. 
 
The team to which Guirguis was referring includes Fonda Holehouse, David Ramsburg, Trina Runner and Cody Thrasher.  In order to seek the professional input of Holehouse and Ramsburg, Guirguis had to travel several times to Charleston, where the duo run the impressive Innovation Center at the University of Charleston.
 
For the realistic, practical advice specific to the food truck industry, she turned to local restauranteur Cody Thrasher. 
 
“Cody’s input was so helpful,” she said.  “He could give me first-hand accounts of what to expect since he has so much experience in the food truck business.  He would come in on his days off and guide me through the process of making my dream a reality.”
 
Because finances are a vital part of the entrepreneurial process, she turned to Holehouse and Ramsburg, both experiences in mentoring students in that area. 
 
“I loved that they didn’t treat me like a high school student,” she said.  “They treated me like a professional and gave me blunt feedback necessary to making the plan successful.”
 
Ultimately, her greatest support came from her mother.  Amal…. has entrepreneurial experience of her own and offered guidance to Guirguis throughout the entire process.
 
“My mom was a consistent source of inspiration and support over the last few months when I would doubt myself or question my decisions.  She empowered me to be independent while still having my back and I cannot express my gratitude for that enough.”
 
Guriguis also had a behind the scenes glimpse of some of the challenges faced by entrepreneurs.  She was part of the BHS DECA group who traveled to Richwood, WV, several times during the fall to open a high-end consignment shop designed to benefit the flood victims in the area. 
 
“Having the year start off with that project only increased my desire to be an entrepreneur,” said Guirguis.  “Even though we had a lot of setbacks, it showed me how possible it is for teenagers to start a business and make a difference.  In fact, when I open “Stix,” I plan to donate a percentage of the proceeds to help communities in West Virginia who are struggling.”
 
While those around her joked about how she would cash the five-foot check she received, Guirguis took the opportunity to network with the judges, hungry for feedback so she can continue to tweak her plan and maximize profits. 
“The whole thing was so surreal,” she said.  “I have always believed my business idea and this scholarship, along with the network of mentors, will help me make it a reality.  I feel so blessed and overwhelmed and excited all at the same time and I encourage all juniors and seniors to attend the Governor’s School of Entrepreneurship this summer to tap into their own unique ideas.”


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