Tuesday, May 09, 2000

WILMINGTON, NC -- Josh Paul, a senior communication studies major at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, was named Entrepreneur of the Month for April by Duck Head Apparel.

Paul, an Alexandria, Va., native, won for his World Wide Web site ThinkStudentDiscounts.com. The site provides information about events on- and off-campus and links to local merchants and discounted services.

"Attitude is Everything" reads the slogan of ThinkStudentDiscounts.com. Founder Josh Paul believes that once you discover your passion, it's up to you to "write your own experience."

Duck Head Apparel is sponsoring a nationwide "Entrepreneur of the Month" contest. Promoted on campuses across the U.S., the contest gives students 18 to 24 who run their own business the opportunity to win $2,000 cash and $500 in Duck Head clothing. Winners are chosen for the uniqueness of their business, its fulfillment of a need in the marketplace and the likelihood of its long-term success. (Entry forms available on www.duckhead.com.)

Paul developed a passion for the Internet during his junior year as a communications major at UNCW. He soon gave himself a full-blown education on the subject of the Web and started consulting with companies in the Wilmington area.

In fall 1999, he founded ThinkStudentDiscounts.com. With the Web spanning the globe, Paul discovered that there were pockets of people and local businesses being ignored. No college Web sites gave students a portal into their community. For example, there was no centralized location where UNCW students could access information about their college area. ThinkStudentDiscounts.com addresses this by providing information on UNCW events (on-campus and off) and linking students to local merchants and discounted services. He also developed a Web site for UNCW's Division for Student Affairs and is working on a site for the Division for University Advancement.

According to Paul, the key qualities of an "entrepreneur" are leadership and dedication. Fine-tuning his UNCW test module of ThinkStudentDiscounts.com for subsequent implementation in local college areas nationwide, Paul is leading the pack of college entrepreneurs with his dedication.

"They say to start out with what you know. This brilliant, young entrepreneur focuses on what he knows at this moment -- his college needs," said Bob Rockey, CEO of Duck Head Apparel. "Wait until he graduates. Imagine what he'll do out in the real world!"

Duck Head offers students like Josh Paul and the other winners of the "Entrepreneur of the Month" contest -- Michael Scully (BuyCoffee.com), the Fowler twins (Gemini Greeting Cards), and Alan Slade (Creative-Waterscapes.com) -- another winning shot. One of the monthly winners will be selected this June as "Entrepreneur of the Year," winning $10,000 and an internship at College Television Network's headquarters in New York.

Duck Head was founded in 1865 by two brothers from Nashville. With the company name inspired by the product, Duck Head established its reputation by producing cotton "duck" workwear. Today, the company produces and markets khakis, indigo products, polo tops and casual shirts. Corporate headquarters are in Winder, Georgia.

For more information, contact Josh Paul at 910/793-6706.