Eight Metro State juniors will prepare to face off Friday at the kickoff of the second Apprentice Challenge @ Metro State, sponsored by Alumni Relations.

Divided into two teams, the students will compete using their varied knowledge and skills gained in their Metro State courses to be chosen “The Apprentice" at the Boardroom finale in May. The Apprentice wins a full-ride scholarship for their senior year and receives a paid internship with a local company to be completed during the 2009-10 school year.

The competition will begin after the Jan. 16 kickoff. During each challenge, the students will work with successful businesses and nonprofit groups on projects that impact the local community. The students will begin by addressing hunger and helping fellow students during the Metro State Food Bank Challenge.

The eight competitors represent a wide variety of interests and majors at the College, from sport industry operations systems to public relations. The eight student participants and their majors are:

Al Lindoerfer, sport industry operations
Chantay Banks, criminal justice
Erik Skelton, business management
Felipe Mosqueda, marketing
Jeannine Malm, chemistry
Jesus “Jesse” Martinez, IDP: political sociology
Lauren Shviraga, art – communication design
Rachael Fisher, public relations

For more information and to follow the students throughout the Challenge, go to http://www.mscd.edu/alumni/apprenticechallenge/.