Morehead State University’s Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) Team was named a Regional Champion at the SIFE USA Regional Competition held March 24 in Cincinnati.
The event is one of 16 SIFE USA Regional Competitions being held across the United States.
This year’s SIFE Presentation Team, which included Amir Ahmadi, Morehead sophomore; Ezra Dike, Norfolk, N.Y., junior; Nathan Mills, Pikeville senior; Adam Lynch Vine Grove senior; Kacie Tackett, Morehead junior; Maurice Thompson, Louisville senior; and Matt Wells Grayson sophomore, presented the results of the entire MSU SIFE organization’s community outreach projects for 2008-09 at the regional competition.
MSU’s SIFE Team is advised by Dr. Janet Ratliff, director of the Center for Economic Education, and coached by Dr. Lola Smith, instructor of computer information systems.
“It’s an honor to be recognized as a regional champion,” said Mills, president of the SIFE Team. “We have worked so hard all year on many projects throughout Eastern Kentucky, and just being able to compete at such a high level makes you feel appreciated for all of your effort.”
The team is one of more than 500 SIFE programs in the United States. Participating students use business concepts to develop community outreach projects that improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need.
During this academic year, the Morehead State University SIFE team organized 13 projects in the Morehead community/service region, including their Business Wise project. As part of this day long event, SIFE students helped Junior Girl Scouts from across the region develop entrepreneurial success skills.
First, the girls took an interest inventory, and learned how to use their personality types and interests to their advantage. The girls were then grouped into four-person teams and began making plans to open their own businesses. The girls were able to open these businesses for the day and shop at each other’s stores. They learned about business planning, borrowing money from a bank, product pricing, advertising, business ethics, and selling products. The Girl Scouts earned their Business Wise Badge after participating in this event.
“The Girl Scouts project was one of my favorite projects because I was a girl scout and I believe that this project empowers young women with success skills that can help them throughout life. At the very least, these girl scouts walk away more informed about consumerism and at the very most, SIFE has given these young women esteem to believe that they could one day open their own business. Either way, the community gains from a business wise group of young women,” said Erica Belmont, Fort Thomas junior.
The culmination of the SIFE program is an annual series of competitions that provide a forum for teams to present the results of their projects, and to be evaluated by business leaders serving as judges. Teams compete first at the regional and national levels, then at the international level when the national champion teams from each country meet at the SIFE World Cup.
The rest of the SIFE team includes: Kristin Looney, Flatwoods senior; Sara Bradley, Morehead freshman; Crystal Worman, Shepherdsville sophomore; Ashley Whitt, Belfry sophomore; Johnathan Thornsberry, Vanceburg senior; Stephanie Thorpe, Cadiz freshman; Cate Bevis, Sopringboro, Ohio, sophomore; Megan Detar, New Albany, Ind., senior; and Rachel Massey, Mt. Olivet, freshman.
As a SIFE USA Regional Champion, the Morehead State University SIFE team now advances to the 2009 SIFE USA National Exposition in Philadelphia, Pa., May 10-12.
Additional information is available by calling Dr. Ratliff at (606) 783-2390.