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Free EstimateAddison Wood won the $2,500 scholarship award in 2024. At First Coast Home Pros, we believe in empowering the next generation of business leaders. Entrepreneurship requires vision, resilience, and drive, qualities we are proud to celebrate through our Young Entrepreneur Scholarship.
The inspiring young entrepreneur impressed us with her business vision, dedication to learning, and determination to make a meaningful impact in the lives of people with food allergies. Her submission showed creativity, empathy, and a deep understanding of what it takes to grow a client base for your business.
Our team of First Coast Home Pros in Jacksonville extends our warmest congratulations to Addison Wood for earning the Young Entrepreneur Scholarship. We’re confident that this award will support her ongoing academic and entrepreneurial journey. We look forward to watching her continue to grow, lead, and inspire others through her future endeavors.
The Inspiring Story Behind Alchemy Bakery
In her essay, Addison Wood combines a deeply personal motivation with a clearly defined, socially impactful business concept. Her vulnerability in discussing life with a severe peanut allergy creates an immediate emotional connection. She skillfully transforms this challenge into the driving force behind her business idea: Alchemy, an allergy-conscious bakery.
What makes this business idea so special is that it’s rooted in Addison’s own life experience, giving her a genuine understanding of what her customers need. She isn’t just starting a business to make money; she’s solving a problem she faces every day.
Because she knows the fear and frustration of living with a severe food allergy, she can truly relate to others in the same situation. This personal connection makes her not only a passionate entrepreneur but also a strong advocate for people with food allergies.
The Building Blocks of Alchemy
Addison outlines a realistic business plan, complete with mission, values, marketing strategy, startup budget, and operational goals. Her use of specific examples (like egg substitutes and customer pain points) shows that she’s considered both the culinary and emotional needs of her audience.
Her vision extends beyond profit to purpose: helping others lead healthier, safer lives. This mix of empathy, innovation, and execution is exactly what the scholarship aims to reward.
How Addison Wood Stays Active On and Off Campus
Addison Wood is finishing her first year at Purdue University, where she’s majoring in Engineering. She’s completing core courses and will begin focusing on Civil Engineering in Fall 2025, specifically Transportation and Infrastructure Systems. She’s interested in how roads, bridges, and traffic systems interact with new technologies like automated vehicles.
Outside the classroom, she’s active in Chi Omega, supporting Make-A-Wish, and is part of Higher Ground Dance Company, raising funds for the Andrea Rizzo Foundation. A lifelong dancer and dedicated volunteer, she also helps with her family’s business during the summer and enjoys working with children through camps and babysitting.
Fueled by Family, Driven by Ambition
Addison Wood credits her parents as her biggest inspirations. Their support, ambition, and success as co-owners of a thriving family business have shaped her values and drive. Through love and example, they’ve taught her resilience, confidence, and leadership.
Looking ahead, Addison hopes to intern during college, work in the engineering industry after graduation, and eventually return to school for an MBA. Her long-term goal is to start her own business and build a successful future before settling down and starting a family.
The scholarship award from First Coast Home Pros motivates Addison Wood to work harder and maintain good standing at her university. The scholarship also opens up opportunities for studying abroad without financial worry.
First Coast Home Pros Continues to Support the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
At First Coast Home Pros, we understand the vital role entrepreneurship plays in our economy and society. Founded by Joshua Kennedy shortly after college, our company was built on the same grit and determination we aim to support through our annual $2,500 Young Entrepreneur Scholarship.
By supporting young innovators, we’re investing in the future of our communities. To apply, students must submit a compelling business pitch that includes their mission, vision, values, business plan, marketing strategy, and a summary of successes and challenges, much like a “Shark Tank” proposal.
The scholarship is open to current undergraduate and graduate students, as well as incoming first-year students, who are enrolled in an accredited institution, in good academic standing, and can provide a transcript and proof of enrollment or acceptance.
Addison Wood, Congratulations on Your Well-Earned Win!
Our 2024 scholarship winner sourced her own struggles to create a recipe for a successful business that meets a real need on the market and makes a delicious impact on people’s lives. Addison Wood magically mixes the ingredients for a successful business, and we wish her the best of luck with the Alchemy bakery!
The team at First Coast Home Pros is confident that Addison Wood’s creativity, resilience, and personal drive will take her far in both business and life. As she finishes her first year at Purdue University, Addison is laying a strong foundation for her future career and life plans.
Students interested in applying for the Young Entrepreneur Scholarship should follow the First Coast Home Pros website for updates on future opportunities. You could be our 2025 winner!