News
& Events
Mount Mercy
College Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Win Eleventh Consecutive
Regional Competition
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (March 26, 2008) – Mount Mercy College’s
Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team won its eleventh consecutive
SIFE Regional Championship March 26 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The Mount Mercy team advances to the SIFE National Competition
to be held May 12-May 14 in Chicago, Illinois.
In 2006 and
2007, Mount Mercy’s SIFE team finished first runner-up in
the national opening round, placing in the top 40 teams out of
more than 800 in the Unites States.
At this year’s
Regional Competition, the Mount Mercy team beat squads from University
of Minnesota – Crookston, Concordia College, University
of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, and St. Norbert College.
“We
are pleased by our performance in Minneapolis and are looking
forward to strong competition in Chicago,” says team advisor
and Dean of the Mount Mercy College Institute Tom Castle. “I
am proud of the success that this team has had, especially their
feat of winning the College’s eleventh consecutive regional
championship. Mount Mercy’s group of seven team members
will continue to hone their skills by presenting to various local
groups and organizations prior to traveling to the national competition.”
Mount Mercy’s
SIFE presentation team members are sophomore Ashley Coon of Oxford
Junction, senior Matthew Draeger of Marion, senior Jayne Dvorak
of Clutier, senior Sarah Jencks of Cedar Rapids, senior Mary Kilburg
of Bellevue, senior Benjamin “BJ” Melsha of Solon,
and senior Mary Jo Nie of Jesup. Team advisors and Sam M. Walton
Fellows are Castle, Mount Mercy College Marketing Lecturer Anne
King, and Mount Mercy College Assistant Director of Admission
Elizabeth Tjelle. Tjelle is a 2003 Mount Mercy College graduate
and SIFE alumna.
Using multimedia
technology, the SIFE team’s presentation focuses its community
service activities with the Cedar Rapids Downtown District, Junior
Achievement of Eastern Iowa, Iowa Juvenile Home, Northeast Iowa
College Readiness Center, SCORE, the ARC of East Central Iowa,
AEGON, Cedar Rapids Freedom Fest, area schools, and many others.
SIFE, the
largest student organization in the world, provides students the
opportunity to make a difference by developing leadership skills
through learning, practicing, and teaching the principles of the
free enterprise system. During the 2006-07 school year the team
completed 47 service projects, volunteered more than 2,050 hours
and taught more than 6,719 people free enterprise principles and
the skills necessary to be successful in the global marketplace.
The students worked with several elementary, middle and high schools,
children of all age groups, seniors, and community organizations
in Cedar Rapids and surrounding communities.
Contacts:
Stacey Jones, Assistant Director of Marketing
(319) 368-6475, sjones@mtmercy.edu
Molly Altorfer, Director of Communications and Marketing
(319) 368-6475, maltorfer@mtmercy.edu
