Mooresville Woman Raising Funds to Create an Orphanage in Ecuador

Mooresville, N.C. - A woman living in Mooresville is raising funds to create and build an orphanage near Manta, Ecuador. Miriam Arteaga, a 54 year old woman, came to the United States with her five children when she was 27 years old in search for better life. 27 years later, she is planning to return to Ecuador in order to create an orphanage for young girls who are in need.

            The initiative, commonly called “The Ecuador Project”, was established in 2010 as a 501c3 non-profit organization with the ultimate goal of giving a better, brighter future to the children of Ecuador.  Miriam’s husband, “Buddy” Lagle, helps run the non-profit, as well as their business, which is called “Creative Upholstery and Canvas” (1113 Brawley School Road, Mooresville, NC).

            “I’ve been given many great opportunities since coming to the United States 27 years ago.  However, many Ecuadorians aren’t that fortunate. In my occasional trips back to Ecuador, I’ve witnessed firsthand the extreme poverty in which many of these children live on a daily basis. Many of these children don’t have adequate access to food, shelter, clothing, or education. What’s worse is that many of these children live in poor family conditions, where the father may be a substance abuser.  It is my vision to help get some of these children out of these horrible conditions and help them go to college.” said Arteaga.

            The education system in Ecuador is slightly different than it is in the United States.  In 2008, an amendment was added to the Ecuadorian Constitution allowing undergraduate students to gain higher education in public universities for free, as long as they met the academic admission standards of the institution.  Unfortunately, being able to meet these admission standards can be quite challenging. Public education in Ecuador is provided at no cost through the 9^th grade, but any education after the 9^th grade must be paid by the parents or another entity. 

           

            The public education system in Ecuador is also commonly known to be one of the worst in South America. In a recent article by PR Newswire, a study of 104 countries was released showing the countries with the worst public education systems, Ecuador ranked 71^st on the list. The only South American countries ranked lower were Venezuela (74th) and Bolivia (73rd).

           

            To address the long-term sustainability of the project, Miriam, along with students from the UNC Charlotte Enactus team (formerly known as SIFE), are developing cocoa butter lip balms and hand lotions. These products will be manufactured by artisans in Ecuador and sold through e-commerce and in “Mom and Pop” shops in the Charlotte region. In March, Miriam will be returning to Ecuador for five months to do further research on creating the cocoa butter products and identifying a location for the orphanage.

            Currently, Miriam is raising funds through a crowdfunding website called GoFundMe.com.  She hopes to raise $15,000 in order to purchase the land on which the orphanage will be placed. Further fundraising campaigns will be launched in the latter half of 2013. All together, Miriam hopes to raise $80,000 for the construction of the orphanage. 

People can donate to Miriam’s cause by visiting http://www.gofundme.com/1y2afg and they can learn more information about The Ecuador Project by visiting and liking her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/theecuadorproject, or going on her website at www.theecuadorproject.org. For more information, you can contact Miriam Arteaga, The Ecuador Project Founder, at Miriam.Arteaga@gmail.com. 

The Ecuador Project Profile

The Ecuador Project is a 501c3 non-profit organization established in 2010 by Miriam Arteaga. The Ecuador Project aims to improve the quality of life and standard of living of children in Ecuador by forming and managing an orphanage near the city of Manta, Ecuador.

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Enactus in the Pro's: Sarah Camp

UNC Charlotte Enactus is the closest you can get to real world experience while in college. Because of this many companies come to us looking to give our students internships and jobs.  Below is just one of our success stories.

Name: Sarah Camp                                                                                                        

Hometown:  Oak Ridge, NC

Currently live in Charlotte, NC

Currently work for AXA Equitable as a Technology Associate- Data Analyst

Year Graduated:  May 2010

Major(s) and minor(s): Major: Business Management; Minor: Management Information Systems

Leadership positions while in Enactus: Co- project leader for Play Pals and chairperson for team building activities

Semesters in Enactus: I began Enactus my first semester as a freshmen in 2006 and finished Enactus when I graduated in May 2010. I was involved with Enactus all 4 years of my college career.

What does Enactus mean to you? : Enactus is a great public service driven organization with a business twist on all the projects. This organization taught me how to network, improve my public speaking skills, business etiquette and all the components that go into leading a project. I had a great experience in this organization and would encourage every one of all majors to join.

SIFE Is Now Enactus

“Our organization was created almost 40 years ago—long before concepts like micro-loans and social enterprises even existed—in order to prove the transformative power the entrepreneurial spirit can have in people’s lives,” said Alvin Rohrs, Enactus’ CEO. “Our core belief has always been that the same kind of creativity and rigor and accountability that fuels businesses around the world is not only transferrable but actually essential to human progress.”

The organization has pioneered a groundbreaking model that deploys student teams, with the advice and support of academic and business leaders, to design and implement community empowerment projects in 39 countries. “Our organization is built around a core set of principles, rather than a specific formula,” notes Mat Burton Enactus’ Chief Marketing Officer. “Every year we literally create 1,600 ‘innovation labs’—each finding innovative ways to address difficult challenges in communities around the world.”

“There’s really nothing else quite like it,” added Rohrs. “We needed a name that reflected that uniqueness. Something that captured the entrepreneurial spirit that fuels everything we do. We were also eager to create a name that reflected how global this organization has become. Entrepreneurial action is not something that is relevant to a single culture or nationality. What we do is just as powerful in Shanghai as it is in Sao Paulo, just as transformative whether we are in San Francisco or Sydney.

In fact, the name change is only the first step in an aggressive effort to expand the organization’s level of reach and impact. Equally important is the influence Enactus has on the 57,000 students that participate in creating projects each year. The experience has a profound impact on the kind of leaders they become, and the type of work they choose to do in their lives.

“This is a time for leaders who can see opportunity where others can’t, and turn that opportunity into value. Leaders who can look beyond the status quo and bring imagination and ingenuity and a sense of possibility to the challenges of our time,” said Rohrs. “Enactus is committed to fostering that kind of leader.”

View the official press release HERE. 

UNC Charlotte Awarded a Trophy at the SIFE USA National Exposition

UNC Charlotte Awarded a Trophy at the SIFE USA National Exposition 

                         Kansas City, M.O. – The Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team at UNC Charlotte traveled roughly 970 miles to compete and make a meaningful impression at this year’s SIFE USA National Exposition in Kansas City, Missouri. The Exposition had nearly 160 SIFE teams from around the United States competing (May 22-24). UNC Charlotte SIFE team members knew that this would be an incredible opportunity to learn how to expand the team and be noticed for their efforts to build a better tomorrow. UNC Charlotte SIFE had won their Regional Competition on March 27th, 2012, which enabled them to participate in the National Exposition. In addition, at the 2012 Regional Competition the team was named the All Star Team of this region.

          This year the UNC Charlotte SIFE team competed in and won its ninth consecutive Regional competition, truly making them Niners! Moving on to Nationals, the team was determined to improve their performance and their achievement. They did! UNC Charlotte SIFE was awarded a trophy for being the 2nd Runner-Up in their league’s opening round. This meant they were one of the top 60 competing teams. The team had achieved this award only once before (2006). “I am proud of our team! They worked hard over the last six months and their hard work paid off,” said Brandon Bogan, SIFE’s Vice President of Competition. “I cannot wait to see what is in store for our team next year.”

          Brian Skerry, the 2011-2012 SIFE President said, “Many of the members that attended this year’s competition have told me they were officially "SIFE'd" after meeting with teams from across the country and watching the presentations of the Final Four teams. SIFE has made an impact beyond what I ever imagined possible for my life and career, and I am glad to see that our younger members are feeling so excited. ”

          The UNC Charlotte SIFE team presentation focused on six community service projects they conducted. It ranged from the mentoring program at James Martin Middle School called Success for Teens, to the Community Garden project that is helping local people tackle their food desert issue, and a Recycling project that featured an arcade game that promotes recycling by creating student user interaction.


The members of the UNC Charlotte SIFE Competition Team are:
• Brandon Bogan (Junior majoring in Economics from Denver, NC)
• Gerald Burgess (Alumnus majored in International Business from Long Island, NY)
• Adam Arshed (Sophomore majoring in International Business from Miami, FL)
• Matt Murrow (Junior majoring in Management & Marketing from Gastonia, NC)
• Malcolm Carter (Freshmen majoring in Business and Dance from Greensboro, NC)
• Brittany Black (Alumna majored in Management Information Systems & Finance from Greensboro, NC)


      For more information, contact Brittany Cranford, SIFE Vice President of Marketing, at bcranfo3@uncc.edu.


SIFE Profile 
Students in Free Enterprise is an international non-profit organization that works with leaders in business and higher education to mobilize university students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills needed to become socially responsible business leaders. There are more than 1,500 active SIFE teams in 40 different countries around the world. The UNC Charlotte SIFE team’s Mission is: To leverage our business skills and entrepreneurial spirit to empower people in need to succeed.

Screenshot from SIFE USA highlight video

2012 Presentation team after their top 60 placement

SIFE Declared Regional Champion for 9th Consecutive Year

Charlotte, N.C. -  The UNC Charlotte Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team won the SIFE USA regional competition on Tuesday, March 27th. This is the ninth consecutive regional victory for the UNC Charlotte SIFE team!  The team has won the SIFE Regional Competition every year since it was launched in 2003.  Teams win based on the value of the community projects they conduct in order to help people in need by applying class knowledge and skills. UNC Charlotte SIFE was also awarded the 2012 Charlotte Regional All Star award.

The 2012 competition was held at the Westin in downtown Charlotte, NC, and served as a preliminary competition for the SIFE National Exposition. The UNC Charlotte SIFE team will attend the National Exposition in Kansas City, Missouri on May 22^nd through the 24^th to compete against more than 160 other university teams for the SIFE National Championship.

Brandon Bogan, SIFE’s Vice President of Competition, said “We have been preparing for SIFE Regionals for about two months now. Countless hours have gone into developing and memorizing our script and presentation, as well as creating the annual report. Our SIFE team contributed 5,296 hours this year and impacted 3,814 people, so it is a great accomplishment to be able to bring this trophy home for the team. It really was a complete team effort and we could not have won this title without the dedication that our team has displayed.

Matt Murrow, SIFE Vice President of Marketing and President-Elect, “SIFE competition is really where you get SIFE’d. Being around so many other energetic SIFE’rs is an awe-inspiring experience and it will change your life forever. Each year we develop and expand numerous community service projects and then compete against other teams to see if we empowered people the most. If your team is good enough, you get to compete at the SIFE National Exposition, which is held annually. If you win Nationals, then you get to go to the SIFE World Cup. The World Cup is in Washington, DC this year from September 30^th to October 2nd and is being sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. At the World Cup, you’ll see about 40 teams from around the world competing to see who helped the most people. Expect an out of body experience if you go to DC that weekend.”

The members of the SIFE Competition Team are: 

·         Brandon Bogan (Junior majoring in Finance from Denver, North Carolina)  

·         Gerald Burgess (Senior majoring in International Business from Long Island, New York)

·         Adam Arshed (Sophomore in International Business from Miami, Florida)

·         Matt Murrow (Junior in Management and Marketing from Gastonia, North Carolina)

·         Malcolm Carter (Freshmen majoring in Pre-Business and Dance from Greensboro, North Carolina)

·         Brittany Black (Senior majoring in Management Information Systems and Finance from Greensboro, North Carolina)  

For more information, contact Matt Murrow, SIFE Vice President of Marketing at mmurrow1@gmail.com. 

SIFE Profile

Students in Free Enterprise is an international non-profit organization that works with leaders in business and higher education to mobilize university students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills needed to become socially responsible business leaders.  There are approximately 1,500 active SIFE teams in about 40 different countries around the world.  The UNC Charlotte SIFE team’s mission is to leverage our business skills and entrepreneurial spirit to empower people in need to succeed.

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Members of the 2012 UNC Charlotte SIFE Team

Why Linkedin? Because Relationships Matter

There has been a fundamental shift in how job searches are being conducted. No longer is it just about your education level (although that still matters), but it is about how you grow and foster relationships within your job search. The saying I use is is it’s not who you know that will help you get a job, it’s who they know. No one tool is as powerful in proving that point true than Linkedin.

Since it’s humble beginnings in May of 2003, when Linkedin launched with 4,500 members till as of this posting it reached 150,000,000 members; Linkedin has become one of the most powerful tools in connecting and maintaining professional relationships. The value this brings to you as a job searcher is that you can connect with anyone on this planet to grow a relationship  that can allow you to find the opportunity you are looking to secure. Don’t believe me? Let me provide a couple of stories to show how individuals used Linkedin to secure opportunities.

Stay in front to stay in thought.

In the early part of 2008 during the beginnings of the economic pullback, I had an invite from a fellow company employee (she was part of a training group) who was being released from her role with the bank we worked. Her message to me to connect was that she wanted to stay in touch with recruiters to keep abreast of the market as it continued it transition. I accepted the invite and we were connected although we had never met. Flash forward a year to 2009 when I became a victim of the economic recession and ultimately landed a contract role (that’s the second story) with a different organization.

The trainer who was let go a year earlier saw the update to my profile that I was with a new organization and sent me a message via Linkedin. The message was very short and congratulated me on the new role I secured and if I became aware of any opportunities that fit her background to keep her in mind for the positions. Sure enough about a week later a position came to my desk that she seemed to be a fit for and after going through the process, she was selected. All because she sent one email congratulating me on the role.

Coming Full Circle

As I mentioned in the story before, I took a new role in 2009. This story will explain how I got that opportunity by using Linkedin. In May of 2009, I was notified that I was being released from my role as a recruiter for a financial services company. I was told I would have to work a sixty day noticed and would be given three months severance after that. So in essence, I had five months to secure another role.

I went through the process of developing a target list of companies (I teach how to do this in a program I will be launching by next quarter) and used linkedin to reach out to individuals at those companies. Now to make sure I make this point clear, the individuals that I reached out to, I had no contact with prior to the first communication with them via Linkedin. One of those individuals was a Human Resource leader for a telecommunications company located here in Charlotte. I invited him for a cup of coffee to learn more about his organization and structure. He accepted.

During the conversation, he asked if I was aware of GMAC Financial (now Ally Bank) and their plans of locating to the Charlotte market. I told him I was aware but I had not made any contacts in the organization at that point in time. He sent my resume over to a recruiter within the company and introduced me to him. That recruiter and I made plans to meet for coffee later that week. This was not a hiring manager but a peer so he had no hiring authority. However, it was a connection into a company that I had no contacts in.

During our meeting he mentioned that a project leader I worked with at my original company was going to be coming to his organization within the next couple of weeks. He said he wasn’t sure if it was general knowledge yet so I shouldn’t spread the  information. Shortly after we left each other I sent an email to the project leader whom I had worked with to catch up for coffee to see how things had been going. During our meeting she told me she was making the move and if any openings came up, she would keep me in mind. Two weeks later, I was starting with the company as a contract recruiter.

Oh yeah, all this happen within three months!

That’s the power of Linked.

What can it do for you???



(Thanks to Mark Frietch of TAC Services for providing this content.)

SIFE to Host Panel Discussions with Alumni on Career Success

Charlotte, N.C. - The Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team at UNC Charlotte is partnering up with the University Career Center to host a panel discussion on transitioning from college to the workforce, called “Lessons Since College.” The event will take place on Wednesday, March 14, 2012 in the Student Union, Room 340 I, from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. All panelists will be alumni. They will discuss how they progressed from being a UNC Charlotte student to having successful careers and what they experienced during their transition.

According the University Career Center (UCC), 40% of students at UNC Charlotte have not secured a full time position upon graduation. This information coincides with a recent report from the Economic Policy Institute that the average hourly pay rate for entry level positions among graduated college men has decreased by 8.2% since 2000. Similarly, average hourly pay for women has decreased by 6.4% since 2000.

This panel discussion will be valuable to anyone looking to prepare for the spring recruiting season. The panelists will talk about their experiences at UNC Charlotte and how to fully reap the benefits of an education. They will address the process of finding their first job, give helpful tips for avoiding mistakes in the workforce, and discuss how they were able to become so successful in their fields.

“This will be a great opportunity for current UNC Charlotte students to learn how recent alumni succeeded in the transition from college,” says project leader, Noelle Cornelio. “Students who attend ‘Lessons Since College’ will not only have the amazing opportunity to learn how recent alumni have made the jump from college to the workforce but will also be able to get their personal questions answered.”

Noelle is a freshman majoring in biology and economics, and hopes to attend medical school in the future. She will moderate the panel on Wednesday, composed of Brian Chu of Liberty Mutual, Gloria Bidetti of KPMG, Tim Ralston of Continental, and Sarah Wilbanks of AdvantaClean.

For more information about the panel discussion, contact the SIFE Vice President of Marketing, Matt Murrow, at mmurrow1@gmail.com.  

SIFE Profile

Students in Free Enterprise is an international non-profit organization that works with leaders in business and higher education to mobilize university students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills needed to become socially responsible business leaders.  There are approximately 1,500 active SIFE teams in 40 different countries around the world.  The UNC Charlotte SIFE team’s mission is to leverage our business skills and entrepreneurial spirit to empower people in need to succeed.

Panelists:

Continental: Tim Ralston graduated from UNC Charlotte in 2009 with a B.S.B.A in Finance. During his time here, he was the President of the Financial Management Association (FMA), a care team member and leader in RAIN (Regional AIDS Interfaith Network) and he also mentored children through Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Charlotte. Tim has served as a Financial Analyst for Continental since October of 2009.

 KPMG: Gloria Bidetti received her Bachelor’s in Accounting from UNC Charlotte in May 2009. She also received her Master of Business Administration (MBA), Accounting Tax Track, in 2010. In Ms. Bidetti’s time at UNC Charlotte she was a member of Beta Alpha Psi, the Business Honors Program (BHP), Dean’s Fellows, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) among others. Ms. Bidetti joined KPMG in June 2008 where she completed three internships. Upon the completion of her MBA in 2012 she became a Federal Tax Associate with KPMG.

Liberty Mutual Insurance: Brian Chu graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in May of 2009 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration earning a summa cum laude distinction.  He served as a Dean’s Fellow in Belk College of Business where he chaired the Stewardship and Fundraising Committees.  Brian currently works for Liberty Mutual Insurance as a Senior Account Service Manager in Employee Group Benefits.  He previously held a position as a Business Systems Analyst after starting his career as a Disability Case Manager in November, 2009.

AdvantaClean Systems, Inc: Sarah Wilbanks received her Bachelor’s in Marketing from UNC Charlotte in 2010. Her experience at UNC Charlotte included a semester abroad at the Universidad de Tecnologico de Monterrey and the Dean’s Fellows Program. She also served as a Public Relations Intern and Contributing Writer for Charlotte Style Magazine. In June 2011, she joined AdvantaClean Systems as a Public Relations Specialist where she develops local and national marketing initiatives.

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