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.’”