St. Norbert College SIFE team wins at regional competition

Facebook / Tweet

From St. Norbert College, April 30, 2010
by Chelsey Gruetzmacher, chelsey.gruetzmacher@snc.edu, (920) 403-3089

The St. Norbert College Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) team was named a regional champion for the second year in a row at the SIFE USA regional competition March 22 in Minneapolis. The team now advances to the 2010 SIFE USA National Exposition in Minneapolis May 11-13.

"This is my second year presenting for the team," said SIFE vice president, Anh Tran. "Compared to last year, I definitely see a great improvement in our SIFE presentation in terms of professionalism, creativity and collaboration within the team members."

Members of the SIFE team who spoke at the competition were: Keri Hodnik, Walworth, Wis.; Molly Karner, from De Pere, Wis.; Jim Krueger, from Reedsburg, Wis.; Anthony Nanne, from Golden Valley, Minn.; Susan Pfitzinger, from Oconomowoc, Wis.; Joy Rueden, from Kaukauna, Wis.; and Anh Tran, from Fond du Lac, Wis. Co-presidents of SIFE at St. Norbert College are Michelle Keehan, from Denmark, Wis; and Andrea Osgood, from Westbend, Wis. Technology support was member John Weninger, from Lomira, Wis., and the creator of the annual report was Jing (Michelle) Li, from Zhejiang, China.

During the 2009-2010 academic year, the St. Norbert College SIFE team organized eight projects in the greater Green Bay area, including hosting a Business Speaker Series and working with Haven of Hope.

"Haven of Hope has seen a 12% increase in their enrolment since SIFE became involved with them in October 2009," said Joy Reuden. "We continue to fundraise for them, since they are run solely by donations. We hope to increase enrolment by another 5% by this time next year and raise $3,000 more dollars!"

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 be evaluated by business leaders who serve as judges. Teams compete at the regional and national levels, and the national champion competes at the SIFE World Cup.

SIFE is an international non-profit organization that brings together the leaders of today and tomorrow to create a better, more sustainable world through the positive power of business. Founded in 1975, SIFE has active programs on more than 1300 college and university campuses in over 40 countries. Through projects that improve the lives of people worldwide, the university students, academic professionals, and industry leaders who participate in SIFE are demonstrating that individuals with a knowledge and passion for business can be a powerful force for change.

For more information on SIFE or St. Norbert College's involvement, contact Jason Senjem, SIFE faculty adviser and assistant professor of business administration, at 920-403-2938 or jason.senjem@snc.edu, or visit http://www.sife.org.