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SIFE
By Brant Jackson
After two successful years operating at the Kelowna campus of Okanagan College, SIFE Okanagan expanded into Vernon.
We couldn’t be more thrilled to have this opportunity to be part of this great organization and in three years we have grown our membership from five to 19 members. Today, we are running eight projects that impact students, citizens and businesses in the Vernon community.
In order to illustrate SIFE Okanagan’s impact, I will give you a brief story illustrating how it’s changed my life. Two years ago I was a first year business student and I felt quite lost to say the least. I didn’t know if business was the right path for me.
One day two students came to my class to talk about a student run organization that was new to our campus. They spoke of students transforming the lives of people around the world by using their hard work and in-class knowledge.
These students painted a picture of how they were able to receive hands-on experience by running projects in their community and gaining knowledge they would otherwise not have. What came next was the spark I needed to start building the foundation for my life. The day I attended my first meeting I ended up joining SIFE Okanagan. I believe that with the experience I have acquired, that lost business student I once was has now been transformed into a student on the path to success. I am now project manager of two projects in Vernon: The Green Business of the Year Award and a Student Solutions project, which are allowing me to make a difference in my community.
The Green Business of the Year Award was implemented in partnership with the Vernon Chamber of Commerce and is being introduced in their 2010 Annual Business Excellence Awards. The Green Business of the Year Award was created to recognize businesses and organizations in Vernon that successfully operate with environmentally responsible practices. This award is being used as a platform for emerging business leaders to promote education and a greener good throughout our community.
Student Solutions allows SIFE students to become consultants and work with inspiring entrepreneurs and small businesses, providing new concepts and improving existing business practices. This year I am working with a local entrepreneur to help create awareness of his unique product. We are in the midst of creating a marketing research report, which examines the consumer characteristics and competition within his industry.
By introducing SIFE into the Okanagan College Vernon Campus, students are now able to obtain the hands-on experience we desired. For the future, our main goal in Vernon is to create the relationships which are needed to generate sustainability and increase the impact we make through our projects. As a young man, student and member of SIFE Okanagan, I am truly appreciative of what this organization has done for me and what I have been able to do for others.
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Great insight, so true! Great work in Vernon keep it up!
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