Gallaudet Business Students Win Rookie of the Year Award.

From: Gallaudet - Apr 3, 2003

For Immediate Release

April 3, 2003

Contact: Mike Kaika, Director of Media Relations

Phone: 202-651-5050

Email: mike.kaika@gallaudet.edu

Gallaudet Business Students Win Rookie of the Year Award.

Washington, DC—Gallaudet’s Department of Business SIFE team won the Rookie of the Year award at the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Regional Competition and Career Opportunity Fair held on April 1, 2003 in Reston. Va.

Thirty colleges and universities from the mid-Atlantic region competed in the SIFE competition in which each school elaborated on its educational outreach projects. SIFE encourages students to take what they are learning in the classroom and apply it to real-life situations and to use their knowledge to better their communities through educational outreach projects.

Two students, Jessica Sergeant, a sophomore, and Maleni Chaitoo, a senior, shared with the judging committee Gallaudet’s Business After Hours (BAH) events held last year. BAH was established just two years ago by assistant professor, Bernard Brown, with the objective of introducing the language and world of business to the deaf community with an eye to eventually developing students expertise in their respective professions. The presentation made by Sergeant and Chaitoo impressed the judging committee as well as other members in the audience.

Teams were judged on the effectiveness of their projects during a 24-minute presentation and were evaluated on creativities and innovation, results of the education programs, success in utilizing resources and documentation of activities. The nine regional champions from competitions held around the country will present their projects at the 2003 SIFE USA National Exposition, hosted by the Kansas City Business Community, May 11-13 in Missouri. The national champion in the 4-year college division will then travel to Frankfurt, Germany to compete in the SIFE World Cup 2003, October 12-14.

Founded in 1975 and active on more than 1,400 college and university campuses in 33 countries, SIFE is a non-profit organization that works in partnership with business and higher education to provide students the opportunity to make a difference and to develop leadership, teamwork and communication skills through learning, practicing and teaching the principles of free enterprise.

The ultimate goal for BAH at Gallaudet is to increase the number of deaf executives and entrepreneurs to a more appropriate proportion in the business world. As Sergeant and Chaitoo said in their presentation, “This could mean opening a number of large corporations’ previously “closed doors,” especially at a time when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is in effect.”

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