FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) team was first runner up in its league at the SIFE USA National Competition held May 21-23 in Kansas City, Mo. The UA SIFE organization is housed in the Bessie B. Moore Center for Economic Education in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.

More than 840 teams participated, and the UA team placed among the top 40 national teams in the competition, which is based on the community-based projects that each team carries on through the year. The projects are designed to teach the principles of free enterprise. The top four teams are Graceland University, Lamoni, Iowa; Heritage University, Toppenish, Wash.; University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.; and Roberts Wesleyan College, Rochester, N.Y. Graceland University will represent the United States at the SIFE World Cup competition in Paris, France, this fall.

The UA SIFE team was named as a finalist in all six individual topic competitions. The individual topics include:

• Aflac Market Economics Competition
• Discover Financial Services Success Skills Competition
• Sam’s Club Entrepreneurship Competition
• HSBC Financial Literacy Competition
• Campbell’s and Sealed Air Business Ethics Competition
• GE Consumer Products Program Sustainability Competition

“Our students did an outstanding job and represented the University of Arkansas well,” said Susan Bristow, SIFE faculty adviser and Walton College instructor. “SIFE offers students the opportunity to develop leadership, teamwork and communication skills through learning, practicing and teaching the principles of free enterprise, hopefully improving the standard of living for people in the process.”

Students representing the university at the national competition included Matt Balcerak Amber Lundquist, Sara Jackson, Meggan Sexton, Amanda Otto, and Becky Miller. Other SIFE students participating included Amy Kihenia, Katie Horne, Ashley Jackson, Valeria Mustafa, and Jake Walker. 

In addition, Théres Stiefer, director of the Walton College Career Development Center; Renee Clay, coordinator of Cooperative Education and Internships; and Bill Curington, senior associate dean for Academic Programs and Research, accompanied the students to the competition. Clay was instrumental in helping the team prepare for the competition and has also been involved with the projects and programs. Stiefer helped the SIFE students connect with recruiters. 

SIFE is a global, nonprofit organization that is changing the world through highly dedicated student teams on more than 1,600 university campuses in 40 countries. Guided by faculty advisers and supported by businesses around the globe, SIFE teams teach important concepts through educational outreach projects, including market economics, entrepreneurship, personal and financial success, and business ethics to better themselves, their communities and their countries. Each year, SIFE competitions are held worldwide, drawing together thousands of students and business leaders to pay tribute to extraordinary educational outreach projects.

“We encourage students to get involved in SIFE,” said Bristow. “It is truly a wonderful and rewarding service-learning opportunity, and the students take what they learn in the classrooms and apply it in real-life community service. SIFE students can live the SIFE World Headquarters tag line: 'Changing the World.’”