La Sierra Enactus presentation team members Andrew Ranzinger, center left, and Branden Lai-Lau hold up the Enactus national championship trophy while presentation team member Sharina Carruthers, right, cheers. They are surrounded by teammates Tiffani Brown, Kendell Angeles, Andrew Parker, Wessam Rabbady, Joe Rees, Surya Baraiya, Eliza Hakobyan, Daisy Benitez, Nahed Malek, Neil Shah, and Klarissa Bietz.
Presentation team member and senior business management major Xavier Watson described the moment on stage when the team was pronounced national champion. “It was as if time slowed down and my entire time with the Enactus team flashed before my eyes. In that very moment all the late nights and early mornings, all of the stress, all of the hard work turned into an overwhelming sense of triumph,” he said. Watson will work with the team over the coming months in preparation for the world cup, further honing his presentation skills, working on projects and serving as an executive leadership consultant with other team members. In addition to strengthening his own abilities and confidence, his experience with Enactus deepened his faith in God. “There is nothing too hard for God and there is no aspect of your life God doesn’t want to be involved in,” said Watson. “When I see the impact we are having in our community and around the world, I am confident that this is the work of God’s children. We are having a real impact that goes far beyond any competition.” La Sierra’s Enactus team is based out of the university’s Zapara School of Business. John Thomas, business school dean and an instrumental founder of La Sierra’s first team, accompanies the Enactus teams to their competitions. He described how proud he was of the team’s achievement and their efforts to live out the business school’s slogan, “Create Value. Make a Difference.” “These projects are making a difference and the students are doing it on their own time,” he said. “We wanted to make sure the students believed in their projects. It was totally student empowered. We let the students lead.” “What a moment for La Sierra Enactus. We are so very proud of these students who have invested so many volunteer hours on significant projects that are continuing to impact hundreds of people in the local region and in India,” said La Sierra University President Randal Wisbey. “We are gratified and thankful that leaders from America’s top corporations also see the value in our students’ projects and have rewarded them for their superb work.” Enactus has 533 universities and more than 16,800 students participating in its U.S. division, and more than 69,000 students participating
OTTO MEJIA/ENACTUS USA
The La Sierra University Enactus presentation team on stage at the national championship competition. Left to right, Joe Rees, Andrew Ranzinger, Sharina Carruthers, Eliza Hakobyan, Branden Lai-Lau, and Xavier Watson. OTTO MEJIA/ENACTUS USA
OTTO MEJIA/ENACTUS USA
La Sierra University
The La Sierra Enactus presentation team prays before competition in St. Louis, Mo.
in 36 countries. The organization began in 1975 as SIFE, or Students in Free Enterprise, and changed its name in 2012 to Enactus. Its partners and donors include Walmart, KPMG, Unilever, Ford, AIG, Coca-Cola, and Hershey, among many others. (Watch a video of the La Sierra team in their Enactus National Expo final round presentation: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SLyeuqp2UU)
Darla Martin Tucker July 2016
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