CSUF Mihaylo College Student Wins $7,500 in Inaugural Website Competition

Feb. 11, 2011 - PRLog -- California State University, Fullerton’s Mihaylo College today recognized the winner of the prestigious Crexendo Website Competition, which was presented by the university’s Center for Entrepreneurship and announced at a special ceremony at Steven G. Mihaylo Hall.  Mihaylo College’s Center for Entrepreneurship supports entrepreneurial education and research, including the work of, Katie Nguyen and her partner Kevin Mann, who received $7,500 for their used printing press website www.printpressinc.com.

The inaugural competition featured some of the best and brightest Mihaylo College students, who were given access to Crexendo’s CMS Software and web-hosting services to create a website focused on e-commerce or search engine optimization (SEO).  They were trained on how to incorporate digital tools and online marketing techniques and then challenged to create their own project and test their entrepreneurial capabilities over the course of two months. “The whole competition was phenomenal. The tools and training we received were very educational and helpful,” said Nguyen. “Before this I didn’t have any experience building a website, but now I have a functioning website and my very own online business. It made my dreams come true.”

According to John Jackson, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, which brings together faculty, students, alumni entrepreneurs and friends of the university to build and advance an exciting, high-energy entrepreneurial culture, a competition like the Crexendo Website Competition is a perfect example of the different programs in place to help students gain experience in real-world business ventures.  “These students are native users of the web and instinctively know how to make better websites,” said Jackson, “What I love is their ability to think outside of the box.”

Scoring for the competition centered on the functionality of the website, its set-up and integration of Google analytics and SEO, the overall idea, its chances of long-term success and its fit within the online marketplace. Other areas of scoring included marketing plans, appearance and a 10 percent bonus for actual traffic, revenue and marketing of the site. Six judges consisting of CSUF professors and business executives then reviewed the websites.

Besides Ngyuen and Mann’s website, there were eight others who received prizes: $5,000 for second, $2,500 for third, $500 for fourth and five honorable mentions. The winners and other participants were treated to a catered lunch at a competition wrap-up ceremony at CSUF on Tuesday. Guests from Mihaylo College and Crexendo were in attendance, including the college’s namesake and CEO of Crexendo Steven G. Mihaylo.

Registration began on Oct. 29 after a presentation at Mihaylo College and the competition lasted from Nov. 10 until Jan. 28 when the judging began. This is the first year Mihaylo College has participated in the event. Crexendo is offering their software and web hosting to CSUF faculty, staff, and students free of charge for the entirety of the 2010/11 school year. When the offer expires, they will be provided a special CSUF rate of $9.95 per month.

Mihaylo College
Located in one of the most vibrant and entrepreneurial business communities in the United States, Mihaylo College of Business and Economics at California State University, Fullerton is the largest accredited business school on the West Coast, nationally recognized for accreditation in both its business and accounting programs.

Mihaylo provides a world-class business education, offering graduate and undergraduate programs that integrate classroom education with best business practices, technology, award-winning research, functional applications, and real-world experience. It is included in the Princeton Review’s 2011 issue of “Best 300 Business Schools,” a ranking based on each school’s students, physical environment, admissions requirements, teaching ratios and programs. Mihaylo was also recently named as one of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Business Programs.


For more information about Mihaylo College, please call the media contacts listed above or visit the website, www.business.fullerton.edu.

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CSUF’s Mihaylo College provides a world-class business education, offering graduate and undergraduate programs. It is ranked in the Princeton Review’s “Best 300 Business Schools,” and in U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Business Programs."