College of Business students win championship trophy at regional SIFE contest

Janel Shoun | 

Lipscomb University’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team came away from the SIFE Regional Competition in Atlanta on April 6 with not only a “Rookie of the Year” honor, but also a 2010 Atlanta Regional Championship trophy.

The College of Business student organization, which mobilizes university students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders, will next compete at the national competition in Minneapolis, Minn., in May.

Participating students apply business concepts to develop outreach projects to improve quality of life and standard of living for people in need. Lipscomb’s 40 SIFE participants completed more than 900 service hours over the course of three months, serving refugees, at-risk youth, recovering mothers and disadvantaged families among others.

Students who presented the team’s work at the Atlanta Regional Championship were Daniel Gingerich, SIFE Vice President; Duncan Gross, SIFE Project Coordinator; Amelia Ong; Edgar Sierra; Landon Lyon; and Justin Thurman.

“At Lipscomb’s College of Business we believe that doing business right is always the right way to do business,” said Dr. William B. Fredenberger, an adjunct professor and the Sam Walton Fellow Advisor for the SIFE team. “Our students have really embraced the SIFE program this semester. This experience is truly eye-opening as to how business affects society as a whole and how business concepts and management can be used to benefit everyone as a whole.”

Among the projects the Lipscomb team worked on were:

  • Developing a sales advertising program for the sides of donation bins, a televised fashion show, an e-mail and social media marketing campaign and a promotional video for Thriftsmart;
  • A statistical analysis of the effectiveness of the House of Mercy recovery approach, as well as financial education and job skills programs for the women housed at the center;
  • Re-branding the Single Mothers Helping Out program by revamping the Website, changing the name of the program and developing social media outreach; and
  • Creating an orientation video for recent immigrants involved in the Nations Ministry Refugee Center. 
Fredenberger and the SIFE team react to their championship win.

Other organizations SIFE worked with in the past school year include: The Wilson Group, Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity, Bookem, Music To His Ears, Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee, Wayne Reed Christian Child Care Center, Christian Community Services, Inc., Kilowatt Ours, and Healing Hands.

“The Lipscomb College of Business is excited this program has become such a strong part of our overall efforts to produce well-rounded, socially responsible businesspeople,” said Turney Stevens, dean of the College of Business. “The program creates additional leadership and career opportunities that refine and enhance the emerging talent of students graduating from our business programs.”