In 2004, Students In Free En- terprise (SIFE) sent Professor Terry Rumker and four students to the Dominican Republic to do an evaluation on the social business Esperanza (which means “Hope” in Spanish). After assessing Esper- anza, the team of professor and stu- dents partnered with the business to make a promotional video in an effort to help the business succeed.

This is just one example of the many projects and accomplish- ments that the SIFE team has acquired over its years at Ashland University. SIFE first started in 1992 and traditionally has around 15 members “who are very active and committed,” with another 25 – 30 students who come and go, according to Professor Kristen Hovsepian, advisor to SIFE. Hov- espian has been inducted into the Sam Walton Fellow Hall of Fame due to the excellent work she has done with SIFE. She has been the SIFE advisor since the group’s beginnings.

SIFE is an international non- profit organization that works with leaders in business and educa- tion to assemble college students together in order to help make a difference in their community and country, while teaching them the skills they will need to become business leaders themselves. AU’s SIFE team participates in many na- tional competitions.

“This past year, I took 16 students to the Regional Competition in Cleveland,” Hovsepian said, “and 12 to the National Exposition in Minneapolis.”

According to Hovsepian, students do not have to be business majors to join SIFE.

“The SIFE organization is open to all students,” Hovsepian said. “Since we do a lot of community service in area public schools, we really need education majors who can partner with business majors to teach such things as decision-mak- ing and financial literacy.”

One of SIFE’s projects this year will be to target surrounding area counties’ sixth grade classes and help show them how to go green.

SIFE’s many accomplishments include working with parts of the Worldwide Outreach program to spread awareness of the AIDS pandemic in Africa, winning the Regional Competition 10 times and placing twice at the National Exposition.

“The competition is fierce and we are up against teams with bud- gets in the 100’s of 1000’s,” Hovse- pian said. “We do pretty well with a budget of much less than that!”

While Hovsepian is the sole advisor to SIFE, the team also has a Business Advisory Board (BAB) of about 20 people, ranging from the mayor, area religious leaders, public school teachers and others.