Washington Adventist University Enactus Team Wins at U.S. National Competition

Washington Adventist University Enactus Team Wins at U.S. National Competition

Story by Donna Bigler

Washington Adventist University’s Enactus team recently traveled to St. Louis, Mo.,to participate in the Enactus United States National Exposition.  The team received a number of awards, including being named finalists in the opening round of the competition, along with placing as finalists in their Walmart project. They also received 3rd place nationally in both their Coca Cola Foundation and Sam’s Club projects.

“Being part of Enactus for my entire college experience has to be the most rewarding part of attending Washington Adventist University. Competition this year demonstrated that as college students we truly can change the world if we mean to do so. All the presenting teams exhibited so much professionalism and were so friendly that I will miss the interaction when I graduate,” says Royanne Richards, Enactus past president and senior class president.

“The ’We All Win’ mantra proved to be true of the Enactus National Exposition 2015. It was a pleasure to meet so many students and get a chance to demonstrate the impact we have been making across the world. We are the future, so it is great when we get a chance to connect and share ideas. Never in a million years would I imagine getting interviewed and offered an internship with such a large corporation on the same day.  Enactus is worth the effort,” says Sashawna McCalla, a senior finance major and Enactus Bridge Forte project leader.

Washington Adventist University was one of more than 180 university teams that competed for the U.S. championship last week. Participating students use business concepts to develop community outreach projects, transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world. The culmination of the Enactus program is an annual series of competitions that provide a showcase for teams to present the results of their projects and be evaluated by business leaders serving as judges. Teams compete first at national level, then at the international level when the national champion teams from each country meet at the Enactus World Cup.

During this academic year, the Enactus Washington Adventist University team organized ten projects in the Takoma Park community; including working with Mr. Kim of Rainbow Coin Laundry, where the team created a tutoring service for K-4th graders while their parents do laundry. This project led to the Sam’s Club 3rd place award.