CTC SIFE Team wins 14th regional championship

The Central Texas College Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) Team won its 14th consecutive regional SIFE championship recently in Dallas, TX. The team will now advance to the national level of SIFE competition at the SIFE USA National Exposition, May 11 - 13 in Minneapolis, MN.

CTC was one of 44 teams from two-year and four-year schools competing. Each team was judged on the number and effectiveness of outreach projects promoting America 's free enterprise system. CTC SIFE completed 51 projects this past year including 16 new events. These new projects included “Money in The Bank” targeted toward elementary school students; “Ethics for Executives” reaching business owners; and “Save Our World” which taught the values of recycling to elementary school students.

Other projects taught young people how to set up a business, market their business, the principles of free enterprise, how to prepare for a job hunt through proper resume writing and interviewing skills and the importance of trade and competition in economics. Financial planning workshops, fiscal fitness and business planning boot camps and e-commerce seminars were also led by SIFE. The team also hosted the first-ever Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour in Killeen teaching the principles of starting a business and the steps needed to make one's entrepreneurial ideas a reality.

Following an oral Power Point/multimedia presentation on its year-long community outreach projects to a panel of business leaders who served as regional judges, the CTC SIFE team was named a SIFE USA Regional Champion in the overall competition and received $1,500 and a trophy. SIFE will use the prize money to further sustain its scholarship program and develop future projects.

Dr. John Frith, faculty advisor for the CTC SIFE team, noted, “SIFE's mission is to foster free market economic education through programs in schools, on college campuses and in communities. The unique SIFE experience enables team members to strengthen communication, team building and management skills while making worthwhile contributions to the community. Our regional championship validates the efforts of our students and the hard work each member put forth to share these free market principles with the community.”

CTC SIFE touched more than 3,000 students and members of the community through its projects. The team's efforts helped aspiring entrepreneurs, struggling business owners, low income families and children experience success.

SIFE Team members representing CTC at the regional competition were William Smith, SIFE president; Brian Tomczek, vice president; Takeia Goodwin, media coordinator; Angela Green, secretary; Jamie Chandler, Pedro Estrada and Jason Pietras.

Also at the regional event, last year's SIFE President Chastity Clemons received one of SIFE's highest honors as she was named a Sam Walton Free Enterprise Fellow. She earned the distinction for demonstrating a thorough understanding of the free enterprise system and the ability to work with university students, community groups, local businesses and entrepreneurs. Clemons guided the team to its first national championship in 2009.

SIFE is an international non-profit organization active on more than 1,400 college campuses across the world. It brings together a diverse network of students, academic professionals and industry leaders in the shared mission of creating a better, more sustainable world through the positive power of business. By contributing their talents to projects that improve the lives of people worldwide, SIFE participants are demonstrating that individuals with a knowledge and passion for business can be a powerful force for change. SIFE teams create economic opportunities in their communities by organizing outreach projects that focus on: market economics, entrepreneurship, personal financial success skills and business ethics.