2008 Woodie Awards
SIFE students aim to impact USM, community
Matt Dodge
Issue date: 3/10/08 Section: News
This year, SIFE is running a program through the Long Creek Youth Development Center, a youth correctional facility in South Portland.
The group provides mentoring and tutoring for juvenile offenders, focusing primarily on personal success skills. By providing education on credit cards, loans, credit scores, and job interview skills, SIFE hopes to make integration into society easier on the youths.
Dr. John Voyer, SIFE's faculty advisor, insists that SIFE is not just for business and accounting majors. "We get a lot of students who join just for resume purposes, but some people find that they really get sucked into it, and become committed."
The group has between 15 and 20 active members at USM, and cites its extensive alumni network as a valuable networking tool for business professionals-USM students have gotten jobs right out of school through connections via SIFE.
"The best way to get a job is through contacts," said Voyer. "There are a lot of companies that are looking specifically for employees with a SIFE background."
As an international organization, there are more than 11,000 alumni worldwide. Locally, Voyer says the group is getting some real name recognition.
"SIFE has become well known in the Portland business community, and it gives students the chance to rub elbows with local CEOs and CFOs," said Voyer.
Starting off with a bang, SIFE took home the first place trophy at the regional competition three out of its first four years and also was awarded "Rookie of the Year" at the 2004 national competition in Kansas City.
During this run, SIFE has won individual topic awards in all but one of the group's core pursuits. They're still looking to take an award in "entrepreneurship" one day to complete the set.
Not only have they seen success in regional competition, the USM SIFE group has earned several honors in the national "Take Charge America" competition designed by the University of Arizona-Tucson SIFE team.
Similar to other competitions, this situation-based contest presents a scenario containing a family and their financial problems and gives students two days to come up with a solution to their mock-family's economic woes.
In 2005 SIFE took home second place honors in the regional competition, following it up in 2006 with a gold medal.
To get involved with SIFE or to learn more about them, stop by the office of the school of business, located on the first floor of Luther Bonney.
The group provides mentoring and tutoring for juvenile offenders, focusing primarily on personal success skills. By providing education on credit cards, loans, credit scores, and job interview skills, SIFE hopes to make integration into society easier on the youths.
Dr. John Voyer, SIFE's faculty advisor, insists that SIFE is not just for business and accounting majors. "We get a lot of students who join just for resume purposes, but some people find that they really get sucked into it, and become committed."
The group has between 15 and 20 active members at USM, and cites its extensive alumni network as a valuable networking tool for business professionals-USM students have gotten jobs right out of school through connections via SIFE.
"The best way to get a job is through contacts," said Voyer. "There are a lot of companies that are looking specifically for employees with a SIFE background."
As an international organization, there are more than 11,000 alumni worldwide. Locally, Voyer says the group is getting some real name recognition.
"SIFE has become well known in the Portland business community, and it gives students the chance to rub elbows with local CEOs and CFOs," said Voyer.
Starting off with a bang, SIFE took home the first place trophy at the regional competition three out of its first four years and also was awarded "Rookie of the Year" at the 2004 national competition in Kansas City.
During this run, SIFE has won individual topic awards in all but one of the group's core pursuits. They're still looking to take an award in "entrepreneurship" one day to complete the set.
Not only have they seen success in regional competition, the USM SIFE group has earned several honors in the national "Take Charge America" competition designed by the University of Arizona-Tucson SIFE team.
Similar to other competitions, this situation-based contest presents a scenario containing a family and their financial problems and gives students two days to come up with a solution to their mock-family's economic woes.
In 2005 SIFE took home second place honors in the regional competition, following it up in 2006 with a gold medal.
To get involved with SIFE or to learn more about them, stop by the office of the school of business, located on the first floor of Luther Bonney.
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