West Virginia Wesleyan College’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team placed among the top forty schools at the recent national tournament in Kansas City.  The group, led by Dr. Scott Bellamy, associate professor of economics, and Briana Cicero, assistant to the director of the M.B.A. program, earned a first runner-up spot in competition with seven colleges and universities from across the country.  Wesleyan’s outstanding showing resulted in a top-40 national ranking and a $1,000 prize.  This is the second time Wesleyan has received this honor.  The private college group has won the regional championship six consecutive years.

The 34-member team completed 11 major projects during the past academic year, dedicating more than 3,000 hours of community service.  The projects included “Money Matters,” a model economy educational program for fifth grade students, the “Real World” program, a safe money management seminar that was developed in partnership with Upward Bound, and international projects such as Supporting Education Abroad in Guangzhou (China) and the Kayamandi Project (South Africa).

Seven members of the group presented Wesleyan’s year-long projects to a panel of judges in Kansas City.  Also accompanying the group was Julie Keehner, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management, and Wesleyan’s new president, Dr. Pamela Balch.

“I am extremely proud of this group of students,” says Dr. Bellamy.  “The enthusiasm, passion, and work ethic they have displayed all year with the various projects were quite obvious in their presentation.  The professionalism they displayed throughout the weekend was truly outstanding.  The first runner-up ranking truly is a significant accomplishment for Wesleyan.”

“Our students represented West Virginia Wesleyan College in a most impressive manner at the national competition,” adds Keehner.  “Not only did their presentation demonstrate an extraordinary amount of enthusiasm and energy-but their 3,000+ hours of service within our local communities, as well as the international level, represented our ongoing commitment to servant leadership.  We could all be extremely proud of their dedication and resulting accomplishments at the national competition.”

SIFE is a global organization with college and university teams from over forty countries.  There are nearly 1,000 teams in the United States.  All SIFE teams strive to complete projects that cover five educational topics:  market economics, success skills, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and business ethics.