 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Press Releases NATIONAL AWARD HONORS TEEN TOY INVENTOR, ENTREPRENEUR Graduating High School Senior Propels Toy into International Spotlight NASE Scholarship Award Cultivates Next Generation of Entrepreneurs Murphy was selected for the award based on the extraordinary entrepreneurial skills and commitment she has demonstrated as an inventor and marketer, her stellar academic record (4.01 GPA), as well as her work in the community serving the elderly and others. She also has demonstrated courage and determination, overcoming early childhood blindness and utilizing her inventive talents and imagination to bring inspiration and joy to children around the world. Murphy – who will enter Villanova University this fall to study business and finance – invented a line of safe, foam-based “pocket rocket” toys called “BOINKS! Buddies™ that kids of all ages coil in their hands and then launch into the air. She developed the toy at age 13 and has served as its hands-on product manager since, identifying and coordinating with its plastics materials manufacturer in China, spearheading market research, and serving as pitch person at the annual International Toy. NASE FE Scholarship Fair in New York for the past four years. Today, BOINKS! Buddies are sold at children’s science centers far and wide. As part of the NASE award, Murphy will receive $12,000 the first year of college. She also will be eligible for a $4,000 renewal scholarship each additional year for up to three years. The award is the largest scholarship in the nation devoted to the promotion of entrepreneurship among young people. Each year the NASE scholarship provides nearly $100,000 in college scholarships to children or dependents of self-employed parents. In addition to the primary “Future Entrepreneur” scholarship, the NASE – the nation’s premier resource for the self-employed and micro-business owners – also is awarding scholarships of $4,000 each to 20 other students across the country. Total scholarships given to more than 465 students since the program’s beginning in 1989 exceeds $1 million. The NASE “Future Entrepreneur” scholarship is presented annually to a young person who demonstrates leadership, academic excellence, ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit. The scholarship program is open to children and dependents of the NASE micro-business membership, and is intended to offer college financial aid not available through their parents’ employment. Through this initiative, the non-profit NASE seeks to help provide a more level playing field for the self-employed who often do not have access to college financial assistance available to parents who work for larger corporations. ADD TWO – NASE FE Scholarship “Meghan Murphy’s story is a remarkable example how the entrepreneurial spirit in small family-owned businesses can be fueled and nurtured to tap the limitless possibilities of the talent and creativity of young people,” says NASE President Robert Hughes. “We are delighted to recognize her remarkable achievements and to honor Meghan’s contributions as an inventor, marketer, scholar and community volunteer.” Murphy’s story is all the more remarkable by the hands-on entrepreneurial role she has taken in bringing her products to market. As an active participant in the famed International Toy Fair, Murphy’s inventive spirit and love of the Chinese language led her to make key connections that would be the start of her BOINKS! Buddies journey. When roaming the convention hall on breaks from working her family’s demonstration booth, Murphy came upon a vendor who sparked her idea for the “Buddies” line. The vendor was from Guangzhou, China, and using her knowledge of the language and her experience as a traveler to China in the 8th Grade, Murphy approached him – in his native tongue – to talk about how Endless Possibilities might employ his innovative materials for a toy line extension. Later, Murphy visited the plant in China and “sealed the deal” to partner with the firm in supplying materials for BOINKS! Buddies. She conducted market research on the planned product’s features and benefits among students at her school, fine-tuning her product and marketing plans to reflect and incorporate the input she received from her market sample. Since then, she has traveled extensively to promote and educate audiences on the toy, which is featured in venues such as Exploration Place, a science museum in Wichita, Kan., the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts in Harrisburg, Pa.; the Louisiana Children’s Museum in New Orleans, La.; as well as Mad Science National Science Programs throughout the U.S. and Canada. There is even “Rocket Release” software and specially manufactured “BOINKS! Pocket Rockets” for corporations that want to imprint their logo and Web site information on the product to use as promotional giveaways. If Murphy sees the world in a different way, it is no doubt rooted in being born blind, then gaining her sight after surgery at age three. “ People are surprised when they learn that I went from being blind to gaining my sight and teaching myself to design small and intricate toys,” says Murphy. “One of the things that makes my business experience so amazing to me is that it has helped me overcome a lot of the shyness that went with my early condition and go on to make presentations to groups and individuals of all ages and backgrounds.” What inspires Murphy the most, she says, is taking her message out to younger kids and motivating them to achieve their own dreams. “ I can see the excitement and wonder in their faces when I talk about my experience,” says Murphy. “You can see the light go on the moment they ‘get’ what my story is all about – that there are endless possibilities for all of us and that everyone has the potential to accomplish good things, no matter what age they are and what issues they confront.” About the NASE The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is the nation’s leading resource for the self-employed and micro-businesses, bringing a broad range of benefits to help entrepreneurs succeed and to drive the continued growth of this vital segment of the American economy. The NASE is a 501c (6) non-profit organization and provides big-business advantages to hundreds of thousands of micro-businesses across the United States. For more information, visit the association’s Web site at www.nase.org. Other links: www.madscience.org| www.exploration.org |
| What
is a boink? | History of a Boink | Boink
Fun | Order Form View Bio | View press releases | back to Home | About Us Boink Buddys | Boinks (organized by category) | Contact Premium & Promotions ©1998 Endless Possibilities™ . All rights reserved. |