The Southern Adventist University Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Team matched their educational outreach projects against the programs of 41 other SIFE Teams at the 2002 Regional Competition and Career Opportunity Fair held April 5 in Atlanta, Ga.
Southern SIFE was awarded the Regional Champion trophy, as well as the Rookie of the Year award.
The Southern SIFE Team has been in existence for less than 7 months, and has accomplished outstanding projects and community services.
Students in Free Enterprise encourages students to take what they are learning in the classroom and apply it to real-life situations, and to use their knowledge to better their communities through educational outreach projects. The projects presented by the Southern SIFE Team included a trip to New York City to provide financial assistance to victims of September 11, and a trip to Honduras in cooperation with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) to work with economic development and micro lending banks.
Southern SIFE is also working to teach free enterprise to children in the community through games and activities.
Teams were judged on the effectiveness of their projects during a 24-minute presentation and were evaluated on creativity and innovation, results of education programs, success in utilizing resources and documentation of activities. Southern SIFE students also met with dozens of corporate representatives from the Atlanta business community to discuss job opportunities. Regional champions named at 21 competitions held around the country will present their projects at the 2002 SIFE USA National Exposition, sponsored by the Kansas City Business Community, May 12-14 in Missouri. The national champion will travel to Amsterdam in September to compete at the second annual SIFE World Cup.
Don Ashlock serves as advisor for the Southern Adventist University SIFE Team. Mr. Ashlock was named a Sam M. Walton Free Enterprise Fellow in recognition of his leadership and support of the SIFE program at Southern.
The team is directed by Sarah Matthews, a junior at Southern, and president of Southern SIFE. "I am proud of how quickly the Southern SIFE Team has pulled together to accomplish unusually effective projects and to apply the principles of free enterprise in the community," said Matthews. "This group of students will have a high competitive edge in the job market because of their experience in active business projects. They are already exhibiting a certain level of maturity in their professional image," Matthews added.
Home to more than 2,000 students, Southern Adventist University is a graduate and undergraduate coeducational accredited university. The academic program consists of 10 graduate degrees, 50 baccalaureate degrees, 17 associate degrees and two certificate programs.
Southern Adventist University is part of the largest Protestant education system in the world. Seventh-day Adventists operate 5,590 schools worldwide, including 90 universities and colleges.