Flagler College Students In Free Enterprise finish in final four at national competition

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Flagler SIFE Team

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL (05/13/2011)(readMedia)-- The Flagler College Students In Free Enterprise team [SIFE] advanced to the final four and finished as second runner-up at the 2011 SIFE USA National Exposition on May 12, in Minneapolis, MN.

This year's champion was Texas State University – San Marcos. First runner-up was Drury University, and Syracuse University finished as third runner-up.

More than 170 teams competed at the National Competition after moving on from 12 regional competitions this spring.

Emily Marcellus, president of Flagler SIFE, said that this year's theme for the competition was "To Empower the People in Hastings to Empower Themselves."

"This year, our goal was to bring the town of Hastings back to life socially, economically and environmentally," said Marcellus.

The team has been working on several projects this year including "Opportunities Unlimited," the "Conservation Cadets Project" and "Containers for a Cause."

Through the Flagler Community Reach Out Program [C.R.O.P.], the Flagler SIFE team won a $2,000 Wal-Mart Women's Economic Empowerment Grant.

"We used the grant money for our 'Opportunities Unlimited' project," said Marcellus. "We are hosting business seminars, and in culmination with the project, we are working with at-risk young women to help them understand the social aspects of the business world. Flagler SIFE will provide the young women with a budget to shop for a business outfit. We [Flagler SIFE] plan on taking these young women to a fine dining restaurant to teach them proper etiquette and business skills so that they may learn how to represent themselves as candidates for jobs."

"Containers for a Cause" has been one of the leading projects for the team this year, and it is the first vocational training program for the Hastings Youth Academy, a correctional facility for young men between ages 13 to 18.

The Flagler SIFE team is working in conjunction with the academy to convert a shipping container into an affordable home. The first container will be given to a young quadriplegic who will use the container for a home and physical therapy room.

"Containers for a Cause has three entrepreneurial components," said Donna DeLorenzo, co-advisor for the Flagler SIFE team. "We are helping the environment by giving new life to the containers; youth offenders have the opportunity to learn vocational skills; and the transformed container will provide a new home for someone in need."

"Competing in the regional competition in Charlotte was an incredible experience," she said. "We have a young team this year, and for most members, this was the first competition they have attended. The competition had an incredible impact on each person."

Flagler SIFE is no stranger to the contest. The group won the national title in 2004 and 2009, and came in second in the world in 2005. They have advanced from regionals to nationals 11 of the last 12 competitions.

SIFE is an international nonprofit organization active on more than 1,500 university campuses in 39 countries. SIFE teams create economic opportunities in their communities be organizing outreach projects that focus on market economics, entrepreneurship, personal financial skills and business ethics. SIFE teaches students the positive power of businesses through service learning. For more information, visit http://www.sife.org/usacompetitions/expoHome.asp, or visit www.sife.org.

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Flagler College is an independent, four-year, comprehensive baccalaureate college located in St. Augustine, Fla. The college offers 25 majors, 29 minors and two pre-professional programs, the largest majors being business, education and communication. Small by intent, Flagler College has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, as well as a satellite campus at Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee, Fla. U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review regularly feature Flagler as a college that offers quality education at a relatively low cost; tuition is $21,450, including room and board. A relatively young institution (founded in 1968), Flagler College is also noted for the historic beauty of its campus. The main building is Ponce de Leon Hall, built in 1887 as a luxury resort by Henry Flagler, who co-founded the Standard Oil Company with John D. Rockefeller. For more on Flagler College, visit www.flagler.edu.

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