The UNC Charlotte chapter of Enactus (the student organization formerly called SIFE) achieved its first top national 20 ranking at the organization’s annual competition in May.
The UNC Charlotte team was a fourth runner-up in the semi-final round of competition, winning $1,500 in prize money. They qualified for the national competition by winning a regional competition, marking their tenth year as regional champions.
Student representing UNC Charlotte at the competition were :
- Adam Arshed, a junior marketing major from Miami, Fla.,
- Christopher Fernandez from Bronx, N.Y., who graduated in May with a degree in finance,
- Rocio Quintero, a senior from El Refugio, Mexico, majoring in international studies, French and political science,
- Noelle Cornelio, a junior biology and economics major from Holdmel, N.J., and
- Mike Dong, a May graduate from Fujian, China, who majored in political science and economics.
Enactus is a community of student, academic and business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to enable human progress, with more than 500 student chapters. Enactus student teams develop projects to support people in need and improve the quality of life of individuals in the community by focusing on environmental, social, and economic factors that can create long-term, sustainable solutions to real-world problems. At the regional competitions, student teams make presentations about their projects to a panel of business leaders who serve as judges. The national competition showcases each regional champion’s projects from the year.
The UNC Charlotte Enactus team’s presentation focused on three of their community service projects. The main project, The Ecuador Project, has worked with a non-profit based in Mooresville, N.C. to build a new facility for an orphanage in Olon, Ecuador which currently houses 31 children. The Enactus team has raised over $3,000 through a variety of fundraising efforts and has received coverage in the Mooresville Tribune, Mooresville Weekly, and Your UCity magazine for their efforts.
“Our team has spent the past year making an impact in our communities, so being recognized for our efforts is truly gratifying,” said Matt Murrow, president of the UNC Charlotte Enactus chapter. “Our team of 61 students dedicated over 4,100 hours on nine projects, and our top 20 finish at nationals surpasses our two previous highs of top 60 in 2006 and 2012. We’ve had a truly remarkable year, and there are great things in store for this team.”
To learn more about Enactus, visit the national organization website at enactus.org or the UNC Charlotte chapter website at belkcollege.uncc.edu/enactus.