Washington College SIFE Team Wins At Regional Competition

Chestertown, MD, April 27, 2004 — The Washington College SIFE Team matched its educational outreach projects against other SIFE Teams at the 2004 Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) Regional Competition and Career Opportunity Fair, April 7, 2004, in Philadelphia. A panel of judges honored Washington College SIFE with a Regional Champion award, making the team eligible to advance to the SIFE USA National Exposition, hosted by the Kansas City Business Community May 23-25.

Students In Free Enterprise encourages students to take what they are learning in the classroom and apply it to real-life situations, using their knowledge to better their communities through educational outreach projects. Washington College SIFE touched the Kent County community this year in several ways, including: educational outreach to two elementary schools, participation in two Kent County High School Opportunity Fairs, and seminars for Washington College students covering topics such as job search techniques and principles of investments. Washington College SIFE students both developed the materials for these programs and conducted them. Members of the Chestertown business community were also involved in a mock interview session. Additionally, the WC SIFE team brought experts to campus such as Lee Colan, author of Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence.

At competition, teams are judged on how well their projects taught others the principles of free enterprise. Susan A. Vowels, assistant professor of business management, serves as advisor for the SIFE Team and was named a Sam M. Walton Free Enterprise Fellow in recognition of her leadership and support of the SIFE program at Washington College.

“The Washington College SIFE team exemplified the principles of teamwork, communication, leadership and improving the lives of others as they interacted with fellow WC students, elementary school students, high school students, and the business community,” Vowels said.

Founded in 1975 and active on more than 1500 college and university campuses in 37 countries, SIFE is a non-profit organization that works in partnership with business and higher education to provide students the opportunity to make a difference and to develop leadership, teamwork and communication skills through learning, practicing and teaching the principles of free enterprise.

For more information, visit www.SIFE.org.