Several members of the Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) prepared for the 2008 SIFE Regional Competition and Career Expo which was held in Dallas, Texas on March 16-17.
At the competition, the team tested its educational outreach projects against the projects of 40 other teams paired in five leagues from around the country.
The PVAMU team competed with five other schools in League three and when the presentations were completed, the team was named first runner-up to Louisiana State University and Arkansas Tech University, regional champions. Other teams in the league were Texas Christian University, University of Texas at Dallas, and LeTourneau University of Long View.
Members of the team included Andrew Williams II, (president), Anita Jones (vice president for programs), Breona King (director of membership), Deviyon Gillum (past president), Nathan Dyles (communication chair), Ridge Fields Cooper (ethics chair), Terry Cossey (presentation chair), Gregory Gray (entrepreneurship chair/CEO director), Lynn Smith (financial literacy chair), Tori Breedlove, Malcolm J. Copeland, Sirmichael Jones, Kyle Maronie and Shianne Patrick. Accompanying the team were Mrs. Shadia Washington, scheduling coordinator and student relations in the career services and Frederick V. Roberts, assistant director, career services and the Sam Walton Fellow (team advisor).
At the competition, teams were judged on how well their projects taught others the principles of free enterprise, business ethics, and free markets in a global economy, entrepreneurship and personal finances and success skills. Louisiana State and Arkansas Tech University, along with the other tegional champions named at 25 competitions held around the country, will present their projects at the 2008 SIFE USA National Exposition in Chicago, Ill., on May 17-21. The national champion in the four-year division will travel to Singapore in September for the SIFE World Cup 2008.
The students also had the opportunity to visit the 20 SIFE donor companies that were recruiting students at the career fair and chat with some of the CEO and top administrators from the companies who judged the competition.
SIFE encourages students to take what they are learning in the classroom and apply it to real-life situations, using their knowledge to make life better in their communities by teaching the principles of free enterprise and entrepreneurship. The group will host its 4th Annual Entertainment Business Career Fair/Music Business Seminar and Hip Hop Conference for students interested in the music business in April.
The team was among 20 schools out of 400 applications receiving the HSBC Financial Literacy Grant for the second year. The team was awarded an AIG grant to support its credit counseling and wealth building programs for freshmen and senior students at the university. The team will implement programs for students in elementary through college and plan to expand its services to schools in the Hempstead and Waller ISDs.