Quiles presented her business plan for Silly Bones, a bilingual children’s book with an accompanying CD, to a panel of eight judges comprised of senior business executives from Westchester County. The award, which was announced and presented by Michael Armstrong, Senior VP and General Manager of BET International, includes a cash prize of $1500 and the opportunity for Quiles to compete for an additional prize of up to $10,000 in the NFTE National Competition to be held in New York this coming October.

"The talent level displayed by the NFTE students in the Fairchester competition was so inspirational.  It's clear that given the right structure, these young entrepreneurs can and will be the next business pioneers of tomorrow,” says Armstrong.

Quiles plans to invest some of the money back into her business and to use the rest of it for college expenses. She will be entering Fordham University in the fall and will major in Political Science. Her next plans include finding an illustrator, obtaining a copyright, and publishing her book. She also plans to translate Silly Bones into three more languages before fall.

Quiles credits her family for their support and her teachers in the Lincoln HS Finance Academy including Steve Mulqueen and Ron Sanchez who were her teachers from prior years, and Joanne Martselos, the Director of the NFTE program at Lincoln HS. Quiles is especially thankful to her current NFTE coach, Lauren Trager, for encouraging her and helping her to perfect the details of her business.

Quiles says, “NFTE has taught me so much about the real world and about myself. The experience was an eye opener. The skills I've acquired from my NFTE experience -- time management, financial management, networking, and others -- are ones that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”

The second-place award of $750 was presented to Woodlands HS junior, Nia McCarthy for her business Pets Next Door, a company created to fill the needs of New Rochelle pet owners who want to give their pets more attention. Third-place winner and recipient of $500 is Lincoln HS senior Maxine Attobrah for her business Sip ’N Munch, a totally edible, nutritious snack cup. The fourth-place winner and recipient of $250 is Lincoln HS senior Terrence Curtiss, for ChiLL, a healthy, refreshing beverage for ice tea lovers.  

The four winners were among sixteen business plans presented at the county-wide competition. Other business plans presented included Jayliss Diaz’s Cute Enough to Eat sweet treats, Stephanie Fernandez’s Point Dance School, William Matilde’s Will’s Soccer Summer Camp, and others.

The competition represented the culmination of a year’s worth of work on the part of students in six different high schools, two community based organizations, and one vocational school in Westchester County. Senior Executives from the community volunteered as coaches to prepare the students for classroom competitions throughout May and the winners were selected to present at WCC.

Ellen Lynch, Executive Director to the Yonkers IDA and Chair of NFTE Fairchester’s Advisory Board, applauds all the student competitors. 

“These NFTE entrepreneurs are the business and professional leaders of tomorrow. Their projects are innovative and the presentations show they have a real grasp on how to achieve business success,” said Lynch, who is Chair of NFTE’s Advisory Board and President and CEO of the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency.

“The NFTE students presenting their business plans were an incredible inspiration. I am so proud of their poise, their presence, and their passion. I applaud each and every one of them,” says Robin Altman, NFTE Fairchester Program Director.

During the reception for the event, Westchester Community College President, Dr. Joseph Hankin welcomed the guests and encouraged many of the students to consider attending WCC.   

Much of the credit for what the students take away from the NFTE class experience is attributed to the dedicated NFTE teachers and business executives who volunteer as coaches and judges. The judges for the final round included: Michael Ambrose, President/CEO of USAlliance Federal Credit Union; Xavier James, President of The James Group, LLC;  Nancy Meyer, Vice President-Cash Management of TD Bank North;  Alistair Jessiman, Managing Director of Novantas LLC; Michael Armstrong, Senior Vice President & General Manager of BET International; and Mike Ross, Executive Coach