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Evangel students selected to participate in Enactus leadership summit

Published on Nov 16, 2016 by Paul K. Logsdon

Opportunities for networking*

SPRINGFIELD, MO— Three Evangel University business students were invited to participate in the Enactus Northwest Arkansas Partner Summit in Rogers, Ark., on Nov. 1 & 2, 2016.

National Advisory Board members, business leaders and select Enactus students came together at the John Q. Hammons Center for a unique cross-generational leadership experience that emphasized networking and peer learning.

Three panelists discussed “What Brand Leaders Do That Laggards Don’t.” The speakers were Tony Rogers, chief marketing officer of Walmart U.S.; Chieh Huang, CEO of Boxed; and Becky Frankiewicz, senior vice president & general manager of Quaker Foods North America.

Rogers, Huang, Frankiewicz
Rogers, Huang and Frankiewicz // (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

“The panelists discussed branding and what makes a brand effective from a marketing standpoint,” said Josh Clark, an accounting major from Willard, Mo.

“It was concluded that consumers are concerned not only with the functionality and affordability of a product or service, but also on the social impact or philanthropic benefit garnered from purchasing the product,” added Clark, executive director of the Evangel Enactus team.

Emily Bye, a senior management major and finance minor from Silverton, Ore., appreciated being able to network with CEO’s of large corporations and fellow Enactus students.

“I benefited greatly from hearing about other schools’ projects and by listening to why employers loved Enactus students,” said Bye.

Andrew Stefan, a senior finance major who grew up in Germany, said, “I learned how to effectively run Enactus chapters and projects. I also discovered how to stay plugged in with Enactus after graduation, by gaining connections for job opportunities through the summit.”

Formerly known as Students in Free Enterprise, or SIFE, Enactus USA is made up of 16,800 students, 1,010 community projects and 443 teams. The Northwest Arkansas event was one of several U.S. Partner Summits being held this year.

Benefits to business students

Enactus is a worldwide organization that allows college students, particularly business majors, to connect what they are learning in the class room to real-life scenarios through projects and community outreaches.

“We have found that participation in Enactus helps guide and mentor future entrepreneurs to have a more professional mind set on the world of business,” said business professor Bernie Dana, advisor to the EU Enactus chapter.

In May of 2016, the Evangel Enactus team competed at the Enactus National Exposition in St. Louis, and placed in the top 20 out of 120 university teams.

The Evangel University Business Department offers majors in accounting, business education, finance, marketing, management, and nonprofit business & social enterprise.

The business department also provides degree completion in management and a Master of Organizational Leadership degree in both online and classroom formats.

For more information, call Bernie Dana at (417) 865-2811, ext. 8116.

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* SIDEBAR: A key Evangel connection

2016-11.11 students & Hartwicks
Evangel University business seniors Andrew Stefan, Josh Clark and Emily Bye with long-time EU friends Horace and Jeretta Hardwick in Bentonville, Ark. Hardwick served three terms in the Arkansas State House of Representatives. // PHOTO BY: Bernie Dana (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

“Connecting students with alumni and friends of the university is an important part of the educational process,” said Professor Bernie Dana.

Housing for the three students during the summit was provided by Horace and Jeretta Hardwick, parents of two Evangel graduates and long-time supporters of Evangel.

The Hardwicks live in Bentonville. Following a very successful career in business, Horace served as a member of the Arkansas State House of Representatives for three terms, starting in 2003.

“We learned that the Hardwicks played a key role in bringing Enactus to Evangel, when it first began as Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE),” said Emily Bye.

Hardwick was a personal friend of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, one of the earliest supporters of SIFE. Another long-time supporter of SIFE was former Wal-Mart CEO Jack Shewmaker, whom Hardwick brought to campus for a series of lectures in 2004.

“It was Mr. Hardwick who convinced Evangel leadership to start SIFE at Evangel,” she said. “He served on the Board of Directors for the University at one time and later led Evangel’s Family & Friends support organization for many years.”

“It was a honor to spend time with the Hardwicks,” added Stefan. “We enjoyed just being able to ask questions and soak in the wisdom that they offered freely to us!”

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