Guardian Honors 15-Year-Old Entrepreneur

Guardian says it received more than 2,000 entries for the 2003-2004 competition.

Adults nominated the competition participants by submitting essays describing the participants' qualifications. The judges who picked the winners looked for nominees who have demonstrated entrepreneurship or financial acumen; taken the first steps toward financial independence; made a difference in their schools or communities; and shown potential for future success, according to Guardian.

The 2002-2003 first prizewinner, Kelly Drinkwater, runs the Splash store, a student-run organization that she founded during her first year of middle school. She wrote a business plan that included financial projections along with discussions of pricing, distribution and advertising strategies, Guardian says.

The 2001-2002 first prizewinner, Karalynn Forrest, founded a summer camp.