WSU Vancouver Students Selected for Student Entrepreneur Awards

VANCOUVER, Wash. — Washington State University Vancouver students Elizabeth Palma and Eli Newton have been selected the recipients of the 2004 Pacific Northwest Student Entrepreneur Awards. Palma and Newton were named first place and co-first runner-up winners, respectively.

Palma and her husband are co-owners of Palmabriz Industries Inc., which sells used, rebuilt and new industrial food processing machinery that focuses on small- to medium-sized food processors. Palma’s husband, William, is a student at Clark College but will be attend WSU Vancouver this fall.

Newton is the owner of Braganza Pearl Tea LLC in the food court at Clackamas Towne Center. The business features premium pearl tea drinks and freshly made miniature donuts.

The Pacific Northwest regional awards and the global awards are given in recognition of exceptional entrepreneurial skill and creativity among undergraduate students enrolled in universities, colleges and technical schools. The awards were created in 1988 by Saint Louis University’s Entrepreneurship Center. This is Seattle University’s fifth year administering the Pacific Northwest awards. First place recipients receive a $5,000 award, and first runner-up receives $1,000.

To be eligible for the award, an undergraduate student must be enrolled in school at the time of submission, submit proof of 12 (or the equivalent) credit hours earned in the 12 months prior to submitting an application, and be a business owner (with or without partners) who has primary responsibility for the management and operations of the business.


All recipients will be honored at an awards luncheon today (April 22) from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Stimson Room of the A. A. Lemieux Library at Seattle University.

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