Nine high school students who dream of starting their own businesses will present their business ideas on May 22 at DePaul University’s "Creativity Contest," an entrepreneurship competition sponsored by DePaul and the Coleman Foundation.

The nine teenagers were chosen as finalists based on business plans they submitted to contest sponsors. Each finalist will make a seven-minute oral presentation explaining his or her business plan before a panel of small business experts beginning at 3:15 p.m. in room 8005 of the DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Blvd. Following the presentations, the judges will announce first, second and third place winners who will share $2,000 in cash prizes.

"The goal of the contest is to promote the entrepreneurial spirit among young people and expose them to the college atmosphere," said Harold Welsch, a DePaul management professor and Coleman Foundation Chair in Entrepreneurship.

The nine finalists are:

Anshul Bindel of Skokie, a Niles North High School student who will present his idea for "The Family Size Laundromat."

Erin Corbett of Park Ridge, a Maine Township High School student who will present "Ceramics Plus, Inc."

Tia Criswall of the Chicago Lawn neighborhood, a Jones Commercial High School student, who will present "Physical Workout Facility."

Rob Hartzler of Morton Grove, a Niles North High School student, who will present "Computer Retail Store."

Mioak Lee, of the Albany Park neighborhood, a Lane Technical High School student, who will present "Fabrication of YbaCuO Superconducting Wires."

David Paremba of the Irving Park neighborhood, a Lane Tech student, who will present "Magnetohydrodynamics Sea Propulsion."

Cristina Sanchez of Aurora, a Waubansie Valley High School student, who will present her idea for "Reaching Life," a Karate school for Attention Deficit Disorder children.

Dear Thamasucharit of Skokie, a Niles North High School student, who will present "Cafe and Computer Workshop."

Latesha Tubbs of the Grand Crossing neighborhood, a Chicago Vocational High School student, who will present "Healing Hands Nail Salon."

This is the first year DePaul’s entrepreneurship program and the Coleman Foundation have sponsored a creativity contest seeking small business ideas from high school students. Past contests have been held for business plans from Chicago-area inventors and college students.

DePaul’s College of Commerce is a leader in entrepreneurship education. For three consecutive years, DePaul’s entrepreneurship program has been chosen as one of the top 25 business school programs for entrepreneurs in the country by SUCCESS! Magazine. Founded in 1980, the program enrolls approximately 300 students seeking to earn M.B.A.s with concentrations in entrepreneurship each year.

Among the businesses started by DePaul entrepreneurship graduates are a bank, C.P.A. firms, insurance agencies, restaurants, a gourmet candy store, a mail order pasta sauce operation, a classic car restoration service, coffee franchises, retail stores, painting and landscaping firms, a computer software consulting firm and a dental supply distribution center.