The Enactus Winter Project Expo drew students eager to get involved in entrepreneurship and service projects designed to launch creative ideas into working business models on Feb. 1 in the Aloha Center.With a new name, approach, and projected goals, BYU-Hawaii’s Enactus, formerly called SIFE, is ready to take on projects that range from local to global, said participants.Richard S. Tanner, director of both the expo and the Willes Center, said, “This is a night for people to come join or learn about projects.” “Enactus is an acronym,” Tanner explained. ‘”E’ stands for entrepreneurial, ‘act’ for action, and ‘us’ representing the need for all of us to work together.”Representatives from 12 booths displaying projects presented their goals and vision to potential student recruits. Tanner and his wife judged the creativity and content of the booths and awarded prizes to those in the booths who were greeted with the loudest cheers from attendees.Britton Winterrose, a sophomore majoring in business management from Washington, said, “Enactus is awesome and everybody should come. We need everyone to be a part of our team - people who can write, songwriters, and people who can produce media for events. We will find a place for your talent.”Jay Yung, a senior majoring in marketing from Florida and vice president of Enactus, said he has run projects, events and meetings for over two years.“Enactus is the only organization on campus that allows you to apply what you are learning in school in a collaborative environment,” said Yung.Later this year, Yung hopes to amp up the expo to a larger scale. “This expo is just a benchmark for us to do a lot more. We want to work up to including all the departments in the school and students with any major, not just business organizations.”The BYUH team placed third in the 2012 Enactus National Competition held in Kansas City last May. A team of chosen students will compete again this year, showcasing projects started and run by students at BYUH.Yung encouraged students to join who want a greater chance of finding a job post graduation. “Enactus has corporate partners that specifically hire students from within the organization. Students should participate in projects so that the companies know what you’re made of,” said Yung.The organization’s purpose, according to the official Enactus website, is “to enable progress through entrepreneurial action.” Yung added, “This is a stepping stone to getting a job. We will help you get to the next level.”Students interested in participating can attend Enactus meetings on Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. in GCB 185.
Writer: Hailey Gardiner~Multimedia Journalist
