Seeking a $5,000 reward, three Quinnipiac students participated in the “You Belong in Connecticut” Business Plan Competition.

Seniors Sandra Bouchard and Carly DeCandia, along with sophomore Kirk Patiniotis participated in the entrepreneurship competition as finalists.

Last year’s competition winner, Quinnipiac student Dale Jasinski’s team, won the Jumpstart Grantee division with the AllSports Healing Patch. Another Quinnipiac team, led by MBA graduate Leo Goodrich, won the 2004 Undergrad Personal Business division with their Eagle Biotech LLC company plan. Goodrich’s company, based on bio technology, was set up to create proteins for research, using an automated system.

The competition, originally founded by the Connecticut Venture Group in 1998, requires that students participating in the competition must be full or part-time students in a Connecticut university, have a team faculty adviser and have a category in industry.

With its reward money and other funding sponsored by the Department of Economic Community Development, the competition also awards the winner the opportunity to exhibit their business presentations at the Crossroads Venture Fair.

The fair, known to be the largest business financing fair in the Northeast, will take place at the Omni Hotel in New Haven on April 27th.

The contest is composed of five categories which include Undergraduate New Personal Business, Undergraduate; New Venture Enterprise, Graduate Level; New Personal Business, Graduate Level; New Venture Enterprise, and Established Business which allows both graduate and undergraduate competitors.

Competitor DeCandia, a Public Relations major, says she hopes to be an entrepreneur in the future.

“I participated to get some experience in the business world. I want to open up my own business eventually, so this was great training.”

She says the experience has helped her to gain experience in the business world. DeCandia explains why she joined the competition.

“To possibly win some money,” DeCandia said. “It was great for resume building, and for good experience in the business world.”

DeCandia presented her final four-minute PowerPoint presentation on Friday, April in front of judges at the New Haven Lawn Club.

“It was based on a fitness and nutrition center for children. I presented who my target market was, why there is a need for the service, and projected sales for the business,” DeCandia said.

De Candia says she is pleased with her performance in the competition.

“I already presented and unfortunately didn’t win, but it was a great experience and I was happy with the way things came out.”