Erskine team excels in 2012 SIFE USA Regional Competition

Representatives from the Erskine College Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team attended the SIFE USA Regional Competition in Charlotte March 27 and came home with a win.

Teams at the regional competition are divided into leagues, with approximately five to seven teams per league. The Erskine group was named a League 3 champion, qualifying for the SIFE USA National Exposition in Kansas City, Missouri, scheduled for May 22-24.

Team members who attended included three young women, Katie Busbee ’14 of West Columbia; Samantha Collier ’12 of Columbia, president of the SIFE team, and Brock Sherrod ’14 of Winnsboro; and four young men, Ben Dickert ’15 of North Augusta, J.P. Duncan ’13 of York, Graham Martin ’14 of Belton, and Kevin Ussery ’13 of York, vice president of the team. The students were accompanied by Assistant Professor of Business Administration Tracy McCurry, who serves as the group’s advisor.

Regional competitors submitted a written annual report and gave a live audiovisual presentation, reporting the results of their community outreach projects to panels of business leaders serving as judges. Evaluation was based on “how successful they were at using business concepts to improve the quality of life and standard of living for those in need,” according to SIFE’s website.

Reports on a number of projects were presented by the Erskine SIFE team, including “Food 4 Thought,” a food collection for the community; “Here 4 You,” a communication and event planning effort for Erskine organizations; and “Quality Enhancement Plan,” in which one of five marketing campaigns developed was selected for use by the Erskine College faculty.

The SIFE USA operation, with nearly 600 active colleges and universities and more than 20,000 student participants, is organized as a division of SIFE Worldwide. SIFE’s mission is “To bring together the top leaders of today and tomorrow to create a better, more sustainable world through the positive power of business.”