An Argyle High School student and business owner has received a $40,000 college scholarship because of his entrepreneurial efforts.

DRC/Gary Payne

Argyle High School senior Devon Zielinski, pictured at his home on Feb. 7, owns Cutting Edge Opportunities Lawn Care. Zielinski has received a $40,000 entrepreneurial scholarship from the McKelvey Foundation.

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Devon Zielinski was one of 60 high school seniors nationwide who received the McKelvey Foundation Entrepreneurial Scholarship last week. The scholars receive $10,000 a year over four years to attend a U.S. college or university.

The New York-based program offers financial aid to young entrepreneurs and first-generation college students.

Zielinski, who has owned Cutting Edge Opportunities Lawn Care for about two years, was one of five Texas seniors to receive the McKelvey award.

“I went numb. I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I was in shock … and then I was super excited.”

The Argyle senior said he will graduate June 3 and will attend Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, where another $40,000 scholarship is waiting for him. He plans to study business. Earlier this year, he was one of 21 state finalists for TCU’s Texas Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

McKelvey scholarship interviewer Paul Camara called Zielinski “a business-savvy young man who has a very well-defined business plan for growth.”

young man who has a very well-defined business plan for growth.”

“For an applicant to have a lawn care business, they must have extraordinary qualities as an entrepreneur and show us that they have taken their business to the next level from mowing lawns in the neighborhood,” Camara wrote in a prepared statement. “Devon was able to show us in the interview that he has very strong entrepreneurial qualities and shows great potential for future success as a business owner.”

Christine McKelvey, foundation president, said more than 1,200 students applied for the award. Of the four years the scholarship has been offered, this was the most competitive, she said, adding that the selected students proved to be lifelong entrepreneurs.

“We’re really looking for people that show that they have the drive and passion to be entrepreneurs,” McKelvey said. “It’s really the individual that we’re looking at.”

Students eligible for the scholarship had to be high school or home-schooled seniors planning to attend a four-year college or university. The students had to own a business for at least one year, have at least one employee and show measurable sales revenue.

BRITNEY TABOR can be reached at 940-566-6876. Her e-mail is btabor@dentonrc.com .