Riverside, Calif., April, 2002 -- La Sierra University's School of Business Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team continued their impressive history of regional wins, competing and receiving first place in their league at SIFE's Regional Competition on Monday, April 8, in Universal City, California at the Sheraton Universal Hotel.

This competition was one of 21 regional competitions to be held across the US by SIFE, the "world's preeminent collegiate free enterprise organization." First-place winners from each league of regional competitions move on to the national competition to be held in Kansas City, May 12-14. The overall winner of nationals will proceed to the international competition, SIFE World Cup.

La Sierra SIFE's 18 projects and 2,977 contributed hours impacted more than 1,400 K-12 students not only internationally, (Mexico and Peru) but also in several Inland Empire communities, such as Riverside, Rubidoux, Redlands, and Loma Linda..

Other projects the team implemented, such as the Welfare-to-Work Childcare Capacity-Building Business Course, impacted community members of Riverside County, including Riverside, La Sierra, Rubidoux, and Mead Valley. The team's micro-enterprise projects also impacted Mexico, Peru and India.

La Sierra's SIFE team, led by Heather Miller, SIFE faculty fellow and School of Business director of special projects, includes 54 participants, 11 of whom represented the team in the competition, and four of whom were team presentation speakers: Leslie Lardizabal, junior marketing major, Moses Chambi, senior risk management, Jessica Bearden, senior religious studies, and Luke Robinson, MBA finance program student. The latter two members, Bearden and Robinson, hail from the Inland Empire, Corona and Loma Linda respectively.

La Sierra University, with nearly 1,600 students, is the smallest of the four colleges and universities (UCR, RCC, California Baptist University, and La Sierra) located in the city of Riverside.

SIFE students value the idea of seizing their opportunities and making a difference. They aren't afraid to roll up their sleeves and get involved. Through a collaborative effort between business and education, SIFE Teams improve the quality of life and the standard of living around the world by teaching the principles of market economics, entrepreneurship, business ethics and personal financial success. --SIFE website.

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by Kandi White