DeSales SIFE Team Reaches Semi-Finals in National Competition
The DeSales University SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise) team, established only three years ago, can add another accomplishment to its growing list of credits.
In its first year, the DeSales SIFE team won the Regional Championship and earned a Rookie of the Year Trophy in the National Championship in Kansas City. In its second year, it finished second in Washington, D.C., but did not advance to the finals. This year, it competed among 840 colleges nationwide to win the Regional Championship in Philadelphia in May. It advanced to the semi-final round at the nationals in Kansas City, where it defeated two powerhouse teams in their league, Carnegie-Mellon University and Texas A&M, who are historically semifinalists.
Of the 20 teams that advanced into the semi-final round, they were awarded Third Runner-Up for the four-year University Division. They received a trophy and $1,500 in scholarship money donated by Radio Shack. Overall, the DSU SIFE team finished twelfth out of 840 member colleges.
This is considered a huge accomplishment for a three-year old team. According to SIFE national officials, they could not recall a team that has only been to nationals twice ever doing this.
Members of the DeSales University SIFE team who participated at the championship event are: Michael A. Kovach, a senior accounting and finance major from Allenton; Elizabeth Pfister, a junior nursing major from Shippensburg, Pa.; Joshua D. Lee, a junior finance and management major from Allentown; Brandon Fogal, a senior from Jim Thorpe; Vince A. Coglianese, a sophomore from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
Also, Robert Day, a sophomore nursing major from Wilmington, Delaware; Brian Radziwill, a junior communications major from Cherry Hill, New Jersey; Alison O'Brien, a sophomore majoring in political science from Mt. Bethel, Pa.; Varun Bhandari, a high school scholar from Whitehall High School and computer science major from Whitehall, Pa.; and Thomas Carr, a sophomore marketing major from Atco, New Jersey.
Michael J. Krajsa, a member of the business faculty at DeSales since 1999, serves as mentor to the DeSales SIFE team, which he began in 2003 with a group of 12 students. Students, as well as DeSales faculty, staff and administrators, attribute part of the team's success to Krajsa's enthusiasm and motivation.
In its first year, the DeSales SIFE team won the Regional Championship and earned a Rookie of the Year Trophy in the National Championship in Kansas City. In its second year, it finished second in Washington, D.C., but did not advance to the finals. This year, the won the regionals in Philadelphia and went on to compete in the finals in Kansas City in late May.
In August of 2004, Krajsa and the SIFE team took a two-week educational expedition to Peru to create cultural, business and service opportunities that will help students prepare for futures in the global economy. The trip was funded by a grant through the Business and International Education Program of the U.S. Department of Education. The presentation by the SIFE team at the competition focused on the success of the trip to Peru and the value of such a service learning experience that helped set into motion a series of follow-up activities upon their return home.
SIFE is a global, non-profit student organization with teams on more than 1800 university campuses in more than 40 countries. It offers students the opportunity to develop leadership, teamwork and communication skills through learning, practicing and teaching the principles of free enterprise, and improving the standard of living for millions in the process.
Members of DSU SIFE team in photo above at Kansas City National Championship in May (l. to r.):
Michael Krajsa, business faculty member and SIFE advisor; Varun Bhandari, high school scholar; Michael Kovach '06; Robert Day '08; Thomas Carr '08; Brian Radziwill '07; Elizabeth Pfister '07; Brandon Fogal '06; Joshua D. Lee '07; Alison O'Brien '08; and Vince Coglianese '08.
Press Release: DeSales SIFE Team Reaches Semi-Finals in National Competition | Posted on: 6/6/2005
For more info:
Tom McNamara, Executive Director of Communications
DeSales University | 2255 Station Avenue | Center Valley, PA 18034
610.282.1100 x1219 | Tom.McNamara@desales.edu |
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