Flagler College is Enactus U.S. 2013 National Champion

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Flagler College Enactus team

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL (05/24/2013)(readMedia)-- For the third time, Flagler College won the U.S. Enactus National Championship, and will represent the nation at the Enactus World Cup in Cancun, Mexico, on Sept. 29.

Flagler Enactus teamFlagler beat out teams from Brigham-Young University-Hawaii, Drury University and Blue Ridge Community College in the final four of the 2013 Enactus USA National Exposition (formerly SIFE) on May 23 in Kansas City, Mo. To get there, Flagler had to first win opening and semi-final rounds of the competition that included more than 150 schools from across the country.

The competition was judged by top executives from major U.S. corporations who evaluated their year-long community outreach efforts and how successful they were at using business concepts to improve the quality of life and standard of living for those in need.

Flagler Enactus also won the national title in 2004 and 2009.

The Flagler Enactus team won several individual awards including an Emerging Leader Award for Julian Naranjo. The award recognizes a student who has demonstrated proven leadership abilities through their participation on an Enactus team. Shelby Ptacek was also awarded a Jules & Gwen Knapp Enactus Ambassador Scholarship, which recognizes leadership, teamwork and communication skills developed in Enactus students.

The awards weren't just given to students. Co-advisers of Flagler Enactus Donna DeLorenzo and Barry Sand were named Sam Walton Fellows of the Year, an award that honors those who have done the most to advance the entire Enactus organization during the current academic year.

The team worked on several projects this year including helping St. Augustine's St. Francis House with Passport Pretzels, a hybrid job-training program aimed at homeless men and women that will teach its participants culinary skills, as well as working with St. Augustine Youth Services to create Soapy Tales, a company that develops, creates and sells all-natural soap.

"When we first came in to mentor, these boys didn't have the confidence to talk to strangers, they were shy and reserved and felt uncomfortable around large groups of people," said Estefania Mones, co-president of Flagler Enactus. "Through this business, they learned product development, marketing, sales, distribution and budgeting, but most importantly, they learned leadership, teamwork, accountability, responsibility and communication."

To date, Soapy Tales has made profits of over $3,500 and their products are sold in 15 stores throughout St. Augustine.

Schools competing included Arizona State University, University of Alabama, University of Florida, Oregon State University, University of Virginia, Oral Roberts University and University of North Carolina-Charlotte. To get to the National Competition, teams had to move on from 12 regional competitions this spring.

The Enactus National Exposition brings together the top student, academic and business leaders from around the country. Beyond the experience of the competition, the event is complete with additional opportunities for these leaders to connect. Enactus donor companies have the opportunity to recruit future talent through the career fair. Special events, such as the Enactus Executive Reception and Dinner and Top to Future-Top Forum provide unique opportunities for networking, mentorship and idea exchange.

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

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Flagler College is an independent, four-year, comprehensive baccalaureate college located in St. Augustine, Fla. The college offers 24 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 $23,690, 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.