SALINA — For the fourth time in seven years, Kansas State University Salina’s Students In Free Enterprise team competed against 175 other teams from around the country in the SIFE USA National Exposition in Minneapolis, Minn., May 10-12.
“The SIFE National Expo is a fantastic experience for our students,” said Kathy Brockway, associate professor of business and one of the team’s advisors. “They compete against their peers from all over the country, network with executives from some of the top companies in the nation, and attend a career fair that focuses on organizations who specifically recruit students who are active in SIFE. It’s not uncommon for a competitor to walk away with a job offer.”
This year, the SIFE team’s major projects included sponsoring a land-mine detecting rat through the HeroRAT program, helping local hotel-owner Shamir Bhakta make his Quality Inn more eco-friendly by installing high-efficiency toilets, expanding their coffee business by 40 percent, and increasing personal finance awareness in local high school and college students. They also hosted award-winning designer Justin McClure, owner of JustinMcClure.tv, as a campus guest lecturer.
The national competition begins with teams being divided into 20 opening round competition leagues. Each team gives a 24-minute presentation about the projects they have led during the academic year and the effect those projects have had on the community. The presentation is followed by five minutes of questions from the panel of judges.
One finalist from each opening round league moves forward to one of four semi-final round leagues, with one team from each of these leagues then qualifying to compete in the final round where they present to a panel of top U.S. business leaders. One of those four teams is named the SIFE USA National Champion and earns the privilege of representing the United States, competing against the best teams from 38 other countries, at the SIFE World Cup.
Representing K-State Salina at the SIFE USA National Exposition were Trista Gorrell, junior in digital media, Centerville; Oscar Rodriguez, sophomore in computer network systems technology, Garden City; Cliff Kramer, senior in technology management, Goff; Grant Swinehart, senior in professional pilot, Norwich; Brett Cooper, junior in technology management, Salina; Sarah Woodruff, senior in technology management, Wamego; and Bryan Valliere, junior in professional pilot, Wichita.
From out of state:
Tyler Lewis, freshman in professional pilot, Aurora, Colo.; and Kristin Scheele, senior in technology management, Odell, Neb.