Students help open international chapters in Egypt
Amanda Zaluga will spend the better part of next week hiding the bottoms of her shoes and brushing her teeth with bottled water.
That's because Zaluga, along with James Tang-Mills, Amanda Davis and Juan Ciscomani, will be traveling to Cairo, Egypt, through UA Students in Free Enterprise.
SIFE World Headquarters selected the UA SIFE chapter for a mission to Egypt after it placed second in a SIFE national competition.
SIFE is an international nonprofit organization that promotes leadership, teamwork and strategy through entrepreneurial projects in the community. UA SIFE's programs range from the Credit Wise Cats financial counseling team to the San Carlos, Mexico, Computer Literacy project.
Although the team is composed of about 90 members, only four students were chosen for the Egypt trip. Selection was based on an application process, and factors such as involvement and seniority were considered.
The purpose of the Egypt trip is to help implement four SIFE programs in Egyptian universities. The four UA SIFE students, accompanied by faculty adviser Marcia Klipsch and executives from SIFE World Headquarters, will guide Cairo students through aspects of free enterprise.
Tang-Mills, executive board member, said the UA students will have a tremendous impact on the Egyptian programs, as the four students represent a high-caliber team.
"The insight and recommendations that we will give them will translate to strategies and procedures that they can use," he said. "Hopefully, they will find the information we provide them as helpful and will be able to utilize our guidance."
Bruce Nasby, senior vice president of global SIFE, said the trip would not only benefit the Cairo students, but also the UA students.
"This will give Arizona students knowledge of another culture and international affairs," he said.
As Egypt embraces more of the Eastern culture, Dr. Adel El-Ansary, special adviser for the SIFE North Africa Project, said students should avoid political discussions and crossing their legs, as they are signs of arrogance.
Tang-Mills said they would also have to adjust to close living quarters and avoid anything that comes in contact with tap water, including ice and fresh fruit.
Despite the significant change in culture, SIFE members insist they are well-prepared for the trip.
"Anytime I travel to another country, I read up on the culture to be aware of the differences," said Zaluga, co-president of UA SIFE.
In addition to assisting the four universities in Egypt, SIFE members will help start a SIFE chapter at the University of Sonora in Mexico.
Jane Rishel, a retailing and consumer sciences sophomore, and Marc Life, a retailing and consumer sciences junior, will head to Hermosillo, Mexico, Feb. 26 to discuss SIFE for University of Sonora faculty members.
Javier Carreno, director of the Center for Training, Consultation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Sonora, said the program would boost student involvement and leadership in Mexico.
"In Mexico, the student mentality is not the same as America," he said. "Their self-esteem is lower, but we want to teach them to be leaders."
But Carreno must gain the approval of the university president with the help of the UA SIFE members.
Zaluga, a family and consumer sciences senior, said the SIFE team is used to overcoming obstacles by working together.
"Our SIFE team is based on a strong foundation of individuals who come together to make a difference in the world," she said. "Through good communication and focus, we can achieve anything."
The students leave for Egypt tomorrow. They return Feb. 14.