Okanagan College’s Enactus teams have returned from Western Canadian Regionals in Calgary with two first-place finishes.
This means they get to head to the National Exposition in Toronto later this year.
The team from Okanagan College and the team from BCIT were both named regional champions of the Scotiabank Youth Empowerment Challenge.
Cassandra McColman, Cooper Simson, Carly Suddard, and Talasa Harder, all from Kelowna, competed for the College. They presented on their award-winning Young Entrepreneurs program, a partnership with School District 23 and the Economic Development Commission of Central Okanagan.
Photo Credit: Okanagan College.The Enactus Team which competed in the Scotiabank Challenge brought home first place. From L to R: Cassandra McColman, Cooper Simson, Carly Suddard, Talasa Harder, Kyleen Myrah (Faculty Advisor).A second team from the College Cam Starcheski, Abbey Jones, Hannah Griffin and Darren Gillespie, all of Kelowna, also tied for a top spot, with team from Simon Fraser University, in the Capital One Financial Education Challenge. The team won based on its presentation about CANSave, a partnership with Valley First Credit Union to teach young children in Kelowna about finances.
“I am in my fourth year with Enactus Okanagan College, and the team never fails to amaze me,” said Cassandra Lum, President of Enactus Okanagan College, in a statement. “Every year we are able to change the lives of those we are able to help, and continue to raise the bar of what we are able to accomplish.”Photo Credit: Okanagan College.The second Enactus Team took home first in the Capital One Challenge. From L to R: Cam Starcheski, Abbey Jones, Hannah Griffin, Darren Gillespie, Devin Rubadeau (Faculty Advisor).
A team from Okanagan College was named regional runner-up in the Scotiabank Ecoliving Green Competition, winning a $1,000 cash prize for their presentation on the ReWine project.
In the TD Entrepreneurship Competition, Okanagan College earned the impact award, for their Venture Okanagan project, earning themselves a $500 cash prize.
“This year marks the tenth anniversary of Enactus Okanagan College,” explained faculty advisor Dr. Kyleen Myrah, also in a statement. “It is incredibly rewarding to build on our previous success at Regionals and we are looking forward to showcasing the great work of our students and community partners on the national stage in Toronto.
“While I’m very proud of the way our team has competed, I’m even more proud of the work they do in our communities to benefit the people of our region.”
The two winning teams from the College will go on to the National Exposition in Toronto on May 2nd to 4th. The nationals team, which presents on projects across their entire year will also compete on behalf of Okanagan College.
