SIFE Team Wins National Award
Fairmont State University's Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Team won a national
award in the National Entrepreneurship Individual Topic Competition for 2008, sponsored
by Sam's Club.
FSU's team was awarded the national third place trophy at the SIFE USA National Competition
in Chicago on May 15. The award is judged on how effectively the SIFE Team measures
and demonstrates that it helped others succeed as an entrepreneur and/or improve the
sustainability of an existing small business.
All active USA SIFE Teams are eligible to enter the competition and must compete
at one of the 2008 SIFE USA Regional Competitions. Twenty finalists were selected
from all USA SIFE Team entries, and they received a plaque and $1,000. Of these 20
finalists, the top three SIFE Teams were recognized at the SIFE USA National Competition
in Chicago on May 15. The national first place winner received a trophy and $3,000;
the national second place winner received a trophy and $2,000; and the national third
place winner received a trophy and $1,000.
On March 28, the FSU SIFE Team competed in the SIFE USA Regional Competition in Cincinnati,
Ohio, and was named one of the 20 finalists. FSU's team entered the Extreme Entrepreneurship
Tour project for the competition. The Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour drew more than
500 participants from as far away as New Jersey to the FSU campus on Feb. 26. The
FSU team also received a finalist award in the Success Skills Individual Topic Competition
sponsored by Discover Financial Services, which also came with a plaque and $1,000.
That award was for a third-year project working with "at risk" high school students
in Marion County funded by a third-year "I Choose" grant from the Marcus Foundation.
"I am very proud of the hard work and dedication shown by my 2008 SIFE Team, and
I hope you join me in celebrating their success and congratulating them on a year
of dedicated service to the campus and local community," said Dr. Jack Kirby, Associate
Professor of Business Administration, Interim Associate Dean of the School of Business
and SIFE Team faculty advisor.
