Scholarly Firsts: The Whataburger Scholar Debra Kemp, Entrepreneur

ST. PHILIP'S COLLEGE'S FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN WHATABURGER SCHOLAR, 商业和创业专业的学生Debra kemp是圣安东尼奥创业社区的一员

A small business and entrepreneurship student at St. 菲利普学院也是圣安东尼奥创业社区的一名实践成员，他即将参加一场亿万富翁的宴会.

The award of $15,000 received by St. 菲利普大学的学生和美容行业企业家黛布拉·肯普获得了2014-2018年由汤姆·多布森通过德克萨斯商业名人堂基金会捐赠的Whataburger奖学金, owner of Whataburger.

According to its web page,"基金会的使命是通过认可和帮助资助德克萨斯商学院学生正在展示的承诺，播下我们未来的种子. 我们通过资助一个奖学金项目，帮助未来的商业领袖在德克萨斯州的学校攻读学位，从而实现这一目标."

In an era when the Texas Business Hall of Fame 伯克希尔哈撒韦公司(Berkshire Hathaway Inc .)等标志性企业已经在领导层举行了隆重的就职仪式. chairman Warren Buffett (2017), Berkshire Hathaway Inc. 副董事长查尔斯·芒格(2017年)和西南航空公司首席执行官加里·凯利(2017年)进入名人堂, Kemp will attend the foundation's scholarship luncheon and its 36th annual induction dinner on the same day Nov. 下午6点1分.m. in the Marriott Marquis Houston, 这一切都是她作为学院第五位Whataburger奖学金获得者的身份. 奖学金获得者还被鼓励加入德克萨斯商业名人堂基金会学者校友会. 在当地，肯普接下来可能会和德州商业名人堂的成员们一起参加一个 networking reception 以“勇气的肖像”为特色，由扎克里集团于9月11日举办的作品巡回展览. 6 at 6 p.m. in The Witte Museum at 3801 Broadway St.

作为目前在学院的机构发展和资助办公室工作的学者, 作为一名学生和不断壮大的圣安东尼奥创业社区的一员，坎普取得了第一名. 她进入名人堂时，拥有10年活跃的小型美容创业历史. 肯普既是该校第一位真正学习商业创业的学生，也是首位获得Whataburger奖学金的非裔美国学生，以及该奖学金通过德克萨斯商业名人堂基金会(Texas business Hall of Fame Foundation)提供的一切.

“几年前金融危机期间，我开了第一家公司, and I will never forget that time," said Kemp. "I was really worried. I was a student and at the end of receiving my cosmetology license. That was something. 这是非常非常可怕的，但我忍了下来，”坎普沉思着说.

2006年，她进入东中心高中，并通过圣安东尼奥东北独立学区获得普通教育证书, Kemp sought additional, college-level education from time to time while she ran a small business. She arrived at St. Philip's 大学 in 2017.

"My mom was a student there. I thought there has to be a connection somewhere. It was more conveniently located  for me than others were, and it was a historically Black college," Kemp said. "Because St. Philip's 大学 has many resources and connections, those things played major parts in making this my home campus. 当我还是个孩子的时候，我会为兄弟姐妹、朋友和我母亲的朋友做头发——从那时起，我就开始做头发了. 一旦我注意到它是如何影响别人的，它就变得很有趣，然后变得更大. A business of my own. People were wearing the hairstyles I was creating to work. It was a big deal for them. I started to be compensated. 这一切都让我知道，帮助别人打扮自己一定是件大事。”肯普说. 

“我很年轻，当我长大成人时，我知道我有美容师的执照来做头发, manicures, pedicures, the whole nine yards of the business... I was always the type to put a little money aside while working odd jobs. I opened my own salon for about three-and-a-half years. I had also given birth to my child. And then I had a complete belly-up. I'm still learning where I went wrong financially. I'm in the business and entrepreneurship program at St. 菲利普学院，看看我如何提高现有的技能，这样我就可以在圣安东尼奥的承诺区内，在一个我可以提供帮助的社区内，授权他人. So I work in many different settings. At this point for instance, if there's someone who needs me to come to their residence, 我访问, or they can visit me," Kemp said.

Asked if she envisions scaling up to the cosmetology industry success of America's first self-made woman millionaire, the entrepreneur Madame C.J. 沃克, 坎普正在考虑所有的创业选择，这是她第一次参加与亿万富翁的宴会.

"Everyone has someone making sure they look good," shared Kemp. "There are ways to maneuver within this field. You get out what you put in. There's a process for everything. Through business, you keep food on your table. Help your children. And pay your rent," concluded Kemp.

在德克萨斯州商业名人堂基金会的在线帖子上找到肯普的名字 2018 Scholarship Recipients.

For details on The Whataburger Scholarship program at St. Philip's 大学, contact Gloria P. Hernandez, college scholarship coordinator, at 210-486-2498 ghernandez@ngskmc-eis.net. (Image by 7月sa Sosa courtesy SPC)