The University of the Ozarks' Enactus team finished as second runner-up in their league at the 2013 Enactus United States National Exposition opening round, held in Kansas City, Mo., last month.
According to the Enactus website, the national exposition brings together the top student, academic and business leaders in order to find the best teams in the nation while allowing the brightest business students in the nation to network with upper-echelon businesses and organizations.
Dr. Rickey Casey, professor of management and business and one of the organization’s advisors, said Ozarks’ Enactus team (formerly SIFE) has a long tradition of attending the prestigious competition.
"Out of the team’s 25 year history, this is their 22nd year to win in the regional competition and have the honor to attend the nationals," Casey said. "The theme for the team this year was ‘Unity, Dedication and Success.’ "
The University of the Ozarks’ Enactus team finished as second runner-up in the league at the 2013 Enactus United States National Exposition in Kansas City, Mo., last month.
Ozarks’ Enactus team boasted impressive accomplishments this year with 56 active members taking part in 18 effective projects and racking up an astounding 4,990 hours of community service. In addition, the organization impacted 145,944 individuals across 11 different countries.
One of Enactus’ most successful projects was called Central American Markets Pursuing Success (CAMPS). Enactus members spent time in Central America teaching business owners how to develop more sustainable, profitable, and environmentally friendly business plans.
For this project, team members conducted a six-day workshop that inspired more than 25 micro-businesses in Central America.
"This is an important project for us, because it had a direct impact on small businesses in those countries. It’s a pretty big deal when you can directly help someone become successful," Casey said.
U of O Enactus members (from left) Ana Hernandez, Mario Lopez, Hidenobu Kameya, Advisor Eric Leon and Jose O’Connor show off their new Enactus shirts at the national exposition.
Ana Hernandez, a 2013 management and environmental studies graduate, was president of Enactus this past year and couldn’t be more proud of how her team performed.
"Personally, I believe my team did an outstanding job at the national competition," Hernandez said. "They were so secure and so confident in all of our projects and in what we had been practicing in the last couple of months. It was beyond perfect the way they presented at nationals."
For Hernandez, however, being a part of a successful team like Ozarks’ Enactus is about much more than performing well at nationals.
"Transferring learned knowledge and skills to real-world and real-work situations is essential for early success in the business world, and that is what makes the Enactus experience so unique," she said. "Through Enactus, I have real-world experience that I can certainly bring to my job. I can also bring a creative approach to problem-solving."
Finishing as second runner-up in their league at the national event placed the University of the Ozarks’ Enactus team among the top 45 teams in the nation.
Topics: Student Organizations