Make A Difference In Your Community

Contact: Dr. Kirti S. Celly

Sam Walton Fellow & SIFE Faculty Advisor

kcelly@csudh.edu

For Immediate Release

CSUDH SIFE TEAM COMPETES SUCCESSFULLY

IN REGIONAL FREE ENTERPRISE COMPETITION

Carson, California. April 19, 2005

Newly formed ToroSifers competed in the regional SIFE competition at the Hyatt Regency in Los Angeles, CA on Thursday, April 14^th 2005. The team participated in the all-day event in which SIFE teams from 28 universities in California, Arizona and Nevada, including USC, Pepperdine, CSU San Luis Obispo, and CSU Pomona competed. The regional competition is one of 21 SIFE Regional competitions held across the USA in April each year. The event sponsors for this Regional Competition were Sav-On. Numerous other companies including Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Wells Fargo, Aflac, Petco, & E&J Gallo supported the event in the form of judges and recruiting booths.

This is the first year that CSUDH has participated in a SIFE activity. The team was formed and supported by Dr. Kirti Sawhney Celly, Sam Walton Fellow & SIFE Faculty Advisor, CSUDH. In the annual report for the event, she provided the following raison d’etre for her involvement. “In each one of my classes, students have the opportunity to work on substantial projects. I always encourage my students to work with community organizations, whether they are small businesses, non-profits, schools, churches, or struggling entrepreneurs. Students who accept this challenge are inspiring in their own entrepreneurship. They demonstrate not only their ability to apply the concepts and theory we are learning in the classroom, but also their willingness to take risks, to be accountable and transparent to a “real” audience beyond their professor, and to share their learning with others. The immediate reward is the “aha” in the eyes of their audience. SIFE offers me the opportunity to guide these deserving students to share with an even broader audience, and to invest further in community education projects that will make a difference to their own lives and those of others. Latin American novelist Isabel Allende articulates my sentiment in her April 2005 essay for the NPR series “This I Believe.” “Give, give, give—what is the point of having experience, knowledge or talent if I don’t give it away? It is in giving that I connect with others, with the world and with the divine.””

The 2004-05 ToroSifers were a team of seven students—Lindsey Jalowy, Mary Pegler, Mariu Carcovich, Yelby Ingraham, Veronica Gutierrez, Jamaar Simon and Celina Flanagan--whose work is exemplary. The team members consist of business and non-business majors, graduating seniors and juniors ages 21 to 35, parents of young children, working students, and six different cultural heritages, all from the South Bay and South Los Angeles areas, reflecting CSUDH’s diversity and major served market. They incorporated into their projects the tools and techniques learnt in Dr. Celly’s introductory marketing class and used the entrepreneurial skills learned in her class to assist and enrich organizations within our community. The CSUDH SIFE team created a mission statement that compliments SIFE USA mission statement and President Lyon’s idea of a “communiversity”, a university that’s an integral part of the community. It states “We are devoted to the continual education and inspiration of students and others through the development of free enterprise by dedicating our energy, ideas and knowledge towards the enrichment of the community.”

While demonstrating their entrepreneurship, enthusiasm and excellence, the team earned many accolades. Based on the evaluations of a panel of 20 business leaders, the ToroSifers won two trophies—Rookie of the Year and Second Runner Up in the overall competition. In addition, judges and other business leaders at the event made many laudatory comments including “each project clearly identified the causes of business failure and clearly addressed each area, creating a solution for business,” “very impressive” “great energy and attitude,” “very professional presentation,” and “great energy and attitude—looking forward to next year.”

In an effort to increase awareness and build interest among fellow students and build institutional support, ToroSifers will be present to share their experiences and trophies at the TorchBearers Unity Fest in the Sculpture Garden on Thursday, April 21^st.

SIFE is a global, non-profit organization that is literally changing the world through highly dedicated student teams on more than 1800 university campuses in more than 40 countries. SIFE offers these students the opportunity to develop leadership, teamwork and communication skills through learning, practicing and teaching the principles of free enterprise, thereby improving the standard of living for millions in the process. Guided by distinguished faculty advisors and supported by businesses around the globe, SIFE Teams teach important concepts through educational outreach projects, including market economics, entrepreneurship, personal and financial success, and business ethics to better themselves, their communities and their countries. Each year, SIFE competitions are held worldwide, drawing together thousands of students and business leaders to pay tribute to these extraordinary educational outreach projects.