October 17, 2007

La Sierra University's Students In Free Enterprise team has won the SIFE World Cup for the second time in six years. LSU was judged to be the top presenting team in the 2007 SIFE international competition in New York City, held October 10-12.

Finishing as first runner up to La Sierra was the team representing Canada, Memorial University of Newfoundland. The other two finalists represented Albania and Nigeria.

"Our students represented the United States and La Sierra in an incredible way," says Randal Wisbey, president of La Sierra University. "Each of the student teams in the final competition was outstanding. It was an amazing honor to be able to represent the US in this way."

"Once again, our top quality group of SIFE students and set the pace for the world," says Johnny Thomas, dean of La Sierra University's School of Business. "Teams from the rest of the world stepped up, but our excellent students responded to the challenge."

College students from across the globe came to America for the 27th Annual Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) competition at the New York Hilton October 10th -12th to determine this year’s World Cup winner.  The  world’s best business students from 45 nations participated.  La Sierra University represented the U.S. after besting higher profile universities such as the University of Arizona at the national competition this past May in Dallas.

“To be honored in this way when being compared to the best business students in the world is a tremendous accomplishment for our students who have worked so hard and endeavor to do truly important things in the global community,” said Thomas.  “La Sierra University students are concerned with solving the critical problems of their generation and are challenging the assumption that business cannot be a tool for making the world a better place.”

“I can't even begin to describe the sense of pride and excitement that each of us felt as we watched our team,” says Wisbey. “John Razzouk, Carrie Bryner, Adam Phillips, Deisy Ruiz, and Warren Sturt are remarkable, and they have an uncanny ability to share all that we have learned about service with uncanny poise. They did a fantastic job as they shared our campus' determination to see the world transformed.”

This year’s SIFE team has developed projects with an international scope.  “Kalaala Scrubs” is an economic development project that teaches women in Ethiopia how to apply their sewing skills to the market by helping them launch a sewing company to manufacture medical scrubs.  The La Sierra University SIFE team is helping them set up an assembly line system, calculate production capacity and pricing and identify buyers for the scrubs in both Africa and the United States.  As a result, a partnership has been formed with the International Medical Aid Association, and construction of 1500-square foot facility for the women to begin manufacturing the scrubs is underway.

Other projects include the “Build-A-Village” concept, a sustainable development project that looks to incorporate renewable energy resources and energy efficient platforms.  The eco-friendly treeless structure is made primarily of dirt, cement, barbed wire and polyurethane tubing, making it an excellent choice for reconstructing sustainable villages in parts of the world where all vegetation has been used or destroyed.  The second phase of the project will develop an economic stimulation plan for new communities in the Sudan.  The “Harambee” project – Swahili for “let us come together” is a forum for business students at La Sierra University and students from Ghana, Kenya and Zimbabwe to find business solutions for people in Africa.  In their “Welfare to Work” program they have taught over 700 low-income women how to run a daycare, with many participants averaging $3,000 to $4,000 a month in income.  The total economic impact of these daycare centers has brought more than $14,000,000 to the Inland Empire to date.   

“People can generally become skeptical about changing the world because too often we focus on the negatives,” said Warren Sturt, a Finance major at La Sierra University.  But my experience with SIFE and as a student here is just the opposite.  When people have resources and knowledge at their disposal they can realize a more productive way of life and that theme is evident in all the work that we have done.”  

La Sierra University boasts an impressive record in SIFE competition.  They are a six-time national champion and won the World Cup in 2002.  They are the only university to ever win the national title four consecutive years, putting together a string of successful World Cup appearances from 1994 to 1997. 

“As a student at La Sierra University we are learning everyday how to serve our communities and I think our success in the SIFE competition is rooted in the Christian values that are taught to us in the classroom,” said Carrie Bryner, who is in the MBA program with an emphasis in marketing.  “Our view of service has a global lens and we apply these values to an entrepreneurial model to help others realize their potential.”

More information on La Sierra University’s SIFE team can be found at www.lasierra.edu/news/sife. Also, the SIFE students kept a blog with their thoughts and impressions of the World Cup event, which can be found at http://lsusifeworldcup.blogspot.com/. And streaming video of the final four presentations, as well as the announcement of the winners, and celebrations on stage that followed, can be seen at www.pdcproductions.com/SIFE/WC2007.htm.

PR Contact: Larry Becker
Executive Director of University Relations
La Sierra University
Riverside, California
951.785.2460 (voice)