SIFE Advances to National Business Competition
The Alma College Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team claimed its 11th consecutive regional championship after presenting its yearlong community economic and business outreach projects to a panel of business leaders April 15-16 in Chicago.
The regional win qualifies the team to represent Alma College at the national SIFE competition in Kansas City in late May.
Fifteen of the 58 members of SIFE competed against teams representing colleges and universities throughout the Midwest, says Ron Lemmon, faculty adviser.
Alma’s SIFE team presented 12 community-outreach projects. They included teaching ethics and study habits to juveniles housed at the Saginaw Juvenile Detention Center, managing a student-run coffee shop, launching a “JumpStart” entrepreneur competition for students with business ideas, and joining with the Alma Women’s Resource Center to provide educational support at a career-building day.
Judging was based on project reach and specific measurable results along with the presentation itself, says Lemmon.
“The judges had glowing remarks about the presentation by the students and the projects that the team completed,” says Lemmon. “These projects encompassed more than 3,200 hours of volunteer service.”
SIFE is an international non-profit organization active on nearly 600 college and university campuses in the United Sates with more than 20,000 student participants. At regional and national competitions, SIFE teams present the results of their educational outreach projects and compete to determine which team was most successful at creating economic opportunity for others. A panel of business executives from around the country judges the projects and presentation skills.
The mission of Alma College SIFE is “to raise the standard of living in mid-Michigan by teaching the principles of free enterprise through a variety of educational outreach programs developed and implemented by dedicated Alma College students,” says Lemmon.
Presenters and attendees at the regional competition:
• Alex Andrus, Grand Rapids junior
• Hannah Bauhof, Troy senior
• Elaine Cunningham, Ada junior
• Matthew Deja, Edmore senior
• Anthony Derrer, Mancelona senior
• Alexander Franko, Bay Village, OH, junior
• Alex Hancock, Fenwick senior
• Shaun Losinski, Alpena junior
• Jarrod Lynch, Lansing junior
• Brett Mageli, St. Johns senior
• Rita Mulford, Freeland freshman
• Holly Oemke, Haslett senior
• Eric Plisko, Livonia junior
• Eric Story, Romulus junior
• Amy Thelen, Stanton senior
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Posted: Fri, April 20th, 2012 at 3:42PM
