2 Students Awarded 1st YES Funds

August 11, 2020 at 1:39 a.m.
2 Students Awarded 1st YES Funds
2 Students Awarded 1st YES Funds

By Jackie [email protected]

LEESBURG – Two area students were awarded $500 in grant money Monday.

Lillian Howard, 8, third-grader at North Webster Elementary; and Lynk Klinefelter, 15, freshman at Wawasee High School; were awarded the grants as part of the first Young Entrepreneur Scholarship (YES), awarded by Matthews’ Painting Company LLC.

The son of Cassy Brandon, Warsaw, Klinefelter said his business is called Life Dips. He said for his business, he takes a piece of wood and primers it and takes a tub of water and puts enamel into it and swirls it around and puts the wood into the water.  There were words, phrases and other things attached to the wood afterward. He has been doing this for five or six years.

He sells his pieces at the festival at the North Webster Community Center every year. His pieces are $5 to $8 each.

Klinefelter said the most challenging thing was finding out which colors worked.

“I’m surprised I got the scholarship,” Klinefelter said. “I mean, I applied for it, but I didn’t expect to get it.”

Howard’s business is called Creations by Lilly and makes concrete molds.

“So my grandpa actually bought me this small frog one,” she said. “I thought it was cool, so I took my own money and bought some more molds.”

She went to the farmer’s market in Syracuse this year and sold a lot of molds, she said. When asked if she’s going to go to other farmer’s markets, she said she thinks she’ll stick to the one in Syracuse.

Her father, Dan Howard, has a precast concrete company in North Webster, and Howard was able to get the concrete there.

“She’s stuck at my shop all summer, so she might as well have something to do, and I have a never-ending supply of concrete,” Dan said.

Dan said Howard started in May.

Dan also stated they’re talking about starting up a Facebook page for Howard, “but we haven’t gotten there yet.”

Jason Matthews, owner of Matthews’ Painting Company, spoke about how YES got started.

“A friend of mine in Florida actually came up with the idea and I really loved everything about it,” said Matthews.

It is for kids ages 8 to 17 and contestants can apply online at https://matthewspainting.com/y-e-s/. Matthews said next year, people can apply yearround, but will take most of the applications in May or June. Then the YES committee will get together and choose the winner. The winners were chosen because the committee thought “they’d do well and actually do something.”

According to the company’s website, contest rules include contestants must reside in Kosciusko County and contestants will be judged based on a review of their business plan and presentation of their business plan. The business plan can be based on an existing business, new business or idea and the grant must be used to further the business or business idea. Up to $1,000 in grant money will be awarded.

Matthews said the business will stay involved with the YES winners by providing a year of mentoring and small investments in other things if they ask.

LEESBURG – Two area students were awarded $500 in grant money Monday.

Lillian Howard, 8, third-grader at North Webster Elementary; and Lynk Klinefelter, 15, freshman at Wawasee High School; were awarded the grants as part of the first Young Entrepreneur Scholarship (YES), awarded by Matthews’ Painting Company LLC.

The son of Cassy Brandon, Warsaw, Klinefelter said his business is called Life Dips. He said for his business, he takes a piece of wood and primers it and takes a tub of water and puts enamel into it and swirls it around and puts the wood into the water.  There were words, phrases and other things attached to the wood afterward. He has been doing this for five or six years.

He sells his pieces at the festival at the North Webster Community Center every year. His pieces are $5 to $8 each.

Klinefelter said the most challenging thing was finding out which colors worked.

“I’m surprised I got the scholarship,” Klinefelter said. “I mean, I applied for it, but I didn’t expect to get it.”

Howard’s business is called Creations by Lilly and makes concrete molds.

“So my grandpa actually bought me this small frog one,” she said. “I thought it was cool, so I took my own money and bought some more molds.”

She went to the farmer’s market in Syracuse this year and sold a lot of molds, she said. When asked if she’s going to go to other farmer’s markets, she said she thinks she’ll stick to the one in Syracuse.

Her father, Dan Howard, has a precast concrete company in North Webster, and Howard was able to get the concrete there.

“She’s stuck at my shop all summer, so she might as well have something to do, and I have a never-ending supply of concrete,” Dan said.

Dan said Howard started in May.

Dan also stated they’re talking about starting up a Facebook page for Howard, “but we haven’t gotten there yet.”

Jason Matthews, owner of Matthews’ Painting Company, spoke about how YES got started.

“A friend of mine in Florida actually came up with the idea and I really loved everything about it,” said Matthews.

It is for kids ages 8 to 17 and contestants can apply online at https://matthewspainting.com/y-e-s/. Matthews said next year, people can apply yearround, but will take most of the applications in May or June. Then the YES committee will get together and choose the winner. The winners were chosen because the committee thought “they’d do well and actually do something.”

According to the company’s website, contest rules include contestants must reside in Kosciusko County and contestants will be judged based on a review of their business plan and presentation of their business plan. The business plan can be based on an existing business, new business or idea and the grant must be used to further the business or business idea. Up to $1,000 in grant money will be awarded.

Matthews said the business will stay involved with the YES winners by providing a year of mentoring and small investments in other things if they ask.
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