Prairie View A&M University SIFE Team Wins at Regional Expo

Prairie View, Texas: -- While other students of Prairie View A&M University were enjoying their spring break, several members of the Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) Team were preparing for the 2008 SIFE Regional Competition and Career Expo in Dallas, Texas on March 16-17. At the competition, the team tested its educational outreach projects against the projects of 40 other teams paired in 5 leagues from around the country. PVAMU team competed with 5 other schools in League 3 and when the presentations were completed, the team was named First Runner-up to Louisiana State University and Arkansas Tech University, regional champions. Other teams in the league were, Texas Christian University, University of Texas at Dallas, and LeTourneau University of Long View.

Members of the team included Andrew Williams II, (President), Anita Jones (Vice President for Programs), Breona King (Director of Membership), Deviyon Gillum (Past President), Nathan Dyles (Communication Chair), Ridge Fields Cooper (Ethics Chair), Terry Cossey (Presentation Chair), Gregory Gray (Entrepreneurship Chair/CEO Director), Lynn Smith (Financial Literacy Chair), Tori Breedlove, Malcolm J. Copeland, Sirmichael Jones, Kyle Maronie and Shianne Patrick. Accompanying the team were Mrs. Shadia Washington, Scheduling Coordinator and Student Relations in the Career Services and Frederick V. Roberts, Assistant Director, Career Services and the Sam Walton Fellow (Team Advisor).

At the competition, teams were judged on how well their projects taught others the principles of free enterprise, business ethics, and free markets in a global economy, entrepreneurship and personal finances and success skills. Louisiana State and Arkansas Tech University’s along with the other Regional champions named at 25 competitions held around the country will present their projects at the 2008 SIFE USA National Exposition in Chicago, Illinois in May 17-21. The national champion in the four-year division will travel to Singapore in September for the SIFE World Cup 2008.

The students also had the opportunity to visit the 20 SIFE donor companies that were recruiting students at the Career Fair and also chat with some of the CEO and top administrators from the companies who judged the competition.

SIFE encourages students to take what they are learning in the classroom and apply it to real-life situations, using their knowledge to make life better in their communities by teaching the principles of free enterprise and entrepreneurship. The PVAMU team touched the lives of many students and persons in the surrounding community this year with more than 30 seminars and projects. Noted projects include: Ethics in the Global Market Economy, Financial Literacy - Freshman Money Management 101, How to Start & Manage a Business, Social & Professional Networking, Talent Showcase & Competition, Copyrights, Patents and Trademarks, Club Pees and Vees and Credit Counseling. It also hosted its 3rd Annual Student Entrepreneur Business Expo and Exhibit, part of a three-day emphasis week on entrepreneurship. Some 15 budding companies helped to make the event a huge success. The group will host its 4th Annual Entertainment Business Career Fair/Music Business Seminar and Hip Hop Conference for students interested in the music business in April.

SIFE continues to educate the students on personal finances and investment through its Financial Literacy and Credit Counseling Programs. Incidentally, the team was among 20 schools out of 400 applications receiving the HSBC Financial Literacy Grant for the second year. The team was awarded an AIG Grant to support is Credit Counseling and Wealth Building Programs for freshmen and senior students at the University. The team will implement programs for students in Elementary through college and plan to expand its services to schools in the Hempstead and Waller ISD’s.

Founded in 1975 and active on more than 1800 college and university campuses in 45 countries, SIFE is an international non-profit organization that works in partnership with business and higher education to mobilize university students to create economic opportunity for others while realizing their own potential. The students also develop leadership, teamwork and communication skills through learning, practicing and teaching the principles of free enterprise and entrepreneurship. The PVAMU SIFE team was created at the university in 1985 and is cosponsored by the Career Center and the College of Business at the University. Some members of its Business Advisory Board and supporters are Yvette Barker General Manager
University Housing, Denise Carreathers Armstrong, (Amistad Bookplace), Rebecca Faison, Director, Small Business Development Center, George Higgs, President, Chamber of Commerce, Frank D. Jackson, Mayor, City of Prairie View, Glenda Jones, Director of Career Services at PVAMU, and Don Sowell, President of Wilmic Ventures.

The team and its supporters continue to be a major contributor to the student personal and professional development programs at the university.

For more information, contact Andrew Williams, II, President or Frederick V. Roberts, Sam Walton Fellow at 936-261-3579.

© 2008 Unitancommunications