Entrepreneurial Spirit Scholarship Winner Announced: Recipient Dreamed of Becoming a Business Owner

OCCOQUAN, Va., Aug. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Destini Sapp, owner of Crafted by Des, 2017 graduate of Mason County High School and entering freshman at Northern Kentucky University, is the first recipient of One Degree Capital's John Mathis Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.

As a young entrepreneur, Destini puts her love of visual arts and interior design to work. "Since I was a child I dreamed of becoming a small business owner." Destini's two-year old business, Crafted By Des, is an Etsy shop specializing in custom decor. Destini makes everything by hand using wood pallets, canvases, slate, coasters, and more.

Like many small business owners, Destini faced several obstacles. Her greatest challenge was marketing her business to grow sales. Destini self-promoted her business by advertising on social media, designing her own business cards, and setting up displays at local craft events. She works diligently and enjoys watching her business grow.

Destini's vision is simply to continue to grow. She currently sells to people in almost every state and hopes to expand to other countries. Destini will attend Northern Kentucky University majoring in Marketing and English and minoring in Business. Destini is combining this scholarship with other awards to cover her tuition, room and board, allowing her to be loan-free for her first year of college. "For that, I feel extremely grateful and honored."

"Destini shows that she has taken that first leap into the unknown," explains John Mathis in his review of the final candidates for his namesake scholarship. "When faced with limited sales, she focused on what was needed to grow and pursued that goal. Taking that first step is always hard, but not nearly as difficult as living with that decision."

Destini has some good advice for other would-be entrepreneurs: shoot for the stars. "You will have to find ways to work around the obstacles you face, but that is part of anything in life. In the end, being a business owner is worth all of the effort."

About The John Mathis Entrepreneurial Spirit Award

The John Mathis Entrepreneurial Spirit Award honors high school seniors who are either employed by a small business or who own their own small business. The $2,000 award can be applied toward tuition and fees of a postsecondary school. Applications for the next academic year begin November 1. For details visit www.onedegreecapital.com/scholarship.

About One Degree Capital

One Degree Capital is a privately funded direct lender to small business owners nationwide. Established in 2010, One Degree Capital has helped thousands of business owners start, sustain and grow their businesses by helping them find the right type of business loan for their unique needs. One Degree Capital offers a full suite of small business financing including business loans, working capital, equipment financing, SBA-backed loans, factoring and more. For more information, contact Jenn Mathis at 1.703-579-6868.

Media Contact:
Michelle Kuzma
1.703.579.6868
[email protected]

SOURCE One Degree Capital

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