COURTESY: APU Enactus
APU Enactus received third-place honors in the quarterfinal round of the Enactus United States National Competition, held Tuesday, April 1 through Thursday, April 3 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
This was the first time in program history the team advanced past the regional round. APU Enactus began seven years ago and has competed at the national event six times.
“We chose to go because it’s a place for us to highlight the projects our program has been working on and to watch other schools showcase theirs,” said junior business management major Lacey Maloney, APU Enactus vice president of development.
More than 200 teams from across the country presented to a panel of business professionals in the regional round for a chance to represent the United States at the Enactus World Cup. Teams were divided into 23 leagues with 8-10 teams in each. The top six from each league advanced to the quarterfinal round.
COURTESY: APU Enactus
APU’s team was awarded a trophy and $750 scholarship for finishing third in its respective league in the quarterfinal round, according to Maloney.
The team’s presentation highlighted the five programs encompassed in the APU Enactus program, Maloney said. The five are The Hub, which provides free bike repairs; The Green Project, promoting environmental friendliness on campus; My Rescue, bringing awareness to sex trafficking; The Fiji Project, serving Fijian nationals; and BARA Clothing Company, assisting the homeless.
“This year was really exciting because our projects have done some really cool things,” Maloney said. “Our presentation team was really passionate about the presentations because they’re members of the different projects.”
COURTESY: APU Enactus
Enactus is an international, nonprofit community of student, academic and business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world, according to the organization’s website.
The APU team was composed of 10 students: Maloney, senior business marketing major Alec Nakashima, junior international business major Abby Wheeler, senior business management major Jeanne Bankson, sophomore business management major Rachel Kagawan, sophomore international business major Shelah Larson, freshman Spanish and business management double major Eric Jordan, senior business management major Sam Reynolds, junior business marketing major Britton Hennessy and freshman business economics major Zach Thomas.