Aspiring Entrepreneur Scholarships and Awards

Larry and Madeline Petersen Endowed Scholarship in Entrepreneurship

Lawrence, '71, and Madeline Petersen have been supporting entrepreneurs on the San Diego State University campus for years. The Petersen's expanded their support with the introduction of the "Larry and Madeline Petersen Endowed Scholarship in Entrepreneurship." The scholarship supports SDSU students enrolled in the entrepreneurship specialization or entrepreneurship minor.

The Larry and Madeline Petersen Endowed Scholarship in Entrepreneurship provides substantial support to the upper division, full-time students, encouraging them to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and learn how to transform their ideas and inventions into profitable businesses. "It is the right thing to do and the right time to do it," Mr. Petersen said. "The students should be able to control their own destiny in their professional lives. That is why it is so important for them to start gaining entrepreneurial skills while they are in college."

Mr. Larry Petersen graduated from SDSU with a Master's degree in Marketing. He is a founder and President of LP Marketing, a sales and marketing organization in California providing services to major consumer and professional electronics manufacturers. In addition, Mr. Petersen founded Bayview Distributing and Development. The Petersen's have been supporting and nurturing the Lavin Center's young entrepreneurs throughout the years. With their joint effort, the Lavin Entrepreneurship Center will be able to give the next generation of entrepreneurs not only the knowledge, but also financial support.

The Conrad Prebys Endowed Entrepreneurship Scholarship is a scholarship offered through the Prebys Scholarship Series. In a large gift to the university, Prebys donated $20 million for academic scholarship use and university improvements. A portion of these Prebys scholarships are extended to students actively involved in entrepreneur programs on campus, including the Lavin Entrepreneur Program and ZiP Launchpad. Unlike other scholarships, this scholarship is open to all class levels.

Conrad Prebys was a highly respected property developer and philanthropist. Originally graduating from Indiana University in Bloomington, Prebys moved to San Diego where he donated millions of dollars to San Diego State University. Most memorably, Prebys is the namesake to the Conrad Prebys Student Union. Prebys’ generosity and philanthropic work in San Diego resulted in the university conferring a Honorary Doctoral Degree of Humane Letters.

Deadline for 2025-2026 Academic Year: April 4th, 2025

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Pierce ‘88 is a distinguished alumni of San Diego State University and real estate developer and investor. He’s dedicated his career to the support of students in higher education. Serving as the Redevelopment Project Director for SDSU while simultaneously serving as President and CEO of Pierce Education Properties, L.P.. Pierce studied finance and real estate, receiving both his bachelors and masters degree through SDSU.

The Pierce Entrepreneurship Scholarship is limited to students pursuing a major or minor in entrepreneurship and offers priority to students involved in SDSU’s entrepreneurship programs. The scholarship aims to energize entrepreneurial behavior in students through financial relief.

Rewarding an Outstanding Student

Generous alumni, Zeynep Ilgaz (Class of 2000, MBA) and Serhat Pala (Class of 1999, MBA), have provided a gift of $100,000 to the SDSU Lavin Entrepreneurship Center. Donations from the two alumni have established the Pala Family Aztec Cooperative Fund Endowment which allows start-ups, nurtured by the ZIP Launchpad Program, to find student interns who can fulfill the necessary tasks they require to optimize their success as a company. 

Their gift also funded the Ken Marino Entrepreneurship Excellence Award, which is awarded to one outstanding student intern who shows extraordinary service and dedication to the programs supported by the Lavin Center. The award is given to at least one student intern annually and is awarded by the Lavin Center Executive Director. In addition, Ilgaz and Pala will meet with this student via a private meeting and if possible, provide feedback and mentorship to the student.

This award is named in honor of  Ken Marino, who served as Associate Dean,  Director of the Graduate School of Business and Department Chair of Management at San Diego State University. Ken Marino was the original co-contributor to the creation of the San Diego State University Sports Master of Business Administration Program, alongside George Belch and Jim Lackritz. He developed programs in electronic business, sports management, health sciences administration, and regulatory affairs. Ken Marino also served as co-director of the Center of International Business Education and Research and even created the SDSU Master’s program in Taiwan. He was known for his generosity and devotion to student excellence. His support of both Ilgaz and Pala did not go unnoticed by the couple and they created this excellence award in his name to say thank you for his support.

Both Ilgaz and Pala immigrated to the United States from Turkey in 1998, and due to the economic crisis within their own country, they were unable to afford the cost of tuition. Ken Marino, assisted the two of them by finding on campus employment which led to Ilgaz working at the Lavin Entrepreneurship Center. Both were able to complete their degrees and in December 2008, Ilgaz and Pala co-founded Confirm Biosciences which offers health and wellness diagnostic testing kits. They sold Confirm Biosciences to Clinical Reference Laboratory, one of the largest privately held laboratories in the United States, in December 2020.

Each year the Lavin Entrepreneurship Center identifies one student as the Ron Fowler Intern. The student intern receives this award for their contribution to the Lavin Entrepreneurship Center that has exceeded the expectations set forth by their job description. This intern has shown drive and dedication to support the launch of new programs that impact the lives of San Diego State students.

"Ron Fowler was one of the original visionaries for an entrepreneurship center at SDSU. His early dedication and commitment of our efforts led to the establisment of what is the Lavin Entrepreneurship Center today. This award honors one of our students that made a significant contribution to our programs this year." – Dr. Alex DeNoble, Executive Director, Lavin Entrepreneurship Center