Canisius Enactus (formerly SIFE) tied for fifth place at the Enactus U.S. National Exposition held in Cincinnati, Ohio from April 1-3. More than 220 teams competed during the event. The team was awarded $2,000 and a trophy for its placement. In its ten-year history, this is the highest the team has ever placed at the national level.
“The presentation team could not have better represented Canisius Enactus’ service to the community or Canisius and its mission,” said Patricia Hutton, PhD, professor of economics and Tower Professor. Hutton also continues to serve as the Sam M. Walton Fellow Faculty Advisor. “Both service and competition are transformative for our students,” she adds. “It changes who they believe they are and who they can become.” Canisius Enactus, which is open to all Canisius students, was founded by Hutton in 2004.
The Enactus team members who competed at the national competition include:
Kristin DeRose ’14
Richard Hilliker ’14
Jaci Luisi ’14
Lauren Piluso ’14
Abby Vanderbrook ’15
Wendy Wojcik ’14
Leah Fallone MBA ’14 and Bridget Wodowski MBA ’14 also provided technical assistance and coaching for the Enactus team during the competition.
In addition, Enactus’ Sew REDI project was selected as one of three national finalists in a special topic competition sponsored by Johnson & Johnson. The team received a $5,000 award. The competition, entitled “Care Enables Progress,” gives teams the opportunity to showcase how they take entrepreneurial action that enables progress and brings value to the lives of others. Through Sew REDI, Enactus students have taught nearly 70 Bhutanese refugees to earn a living by sewing.
Enactus is an international non-profit organization that brings together student, academic and business leaders who are committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need. Guided by academic advisors and business experts, the student leaders of Enactus create and implement community empowerment projects around the globe.
Canisius is one of 28 Jesuit universities in the nation and the premier private university in Western New York.
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