From Victory to Venture: UTRGV Enactus champions set out for Kazakhstan

By Amanda Alaniz

UTRGV Enactus student members will be travelling more than 7,000 miles across the world in October to compete in a global competition.

In a symbolic triumph for the Texas border region, the UTRGV Enactus Chapter claimed the 2024 Enactus USA National Champion title at the annual Enactus United States Expo earlier this year. The expo was hosted at the University of Texas at Austin.

The first-time victory earned the team the honor of representing the United States at the Enactus World Cup in Astana, Kazakhstan, in October, where they will compete against 33 countries.

Maria Leonard, UTRGV RCVCOBE assistant professor of practice in Management, has been the UTRGV Enactus Chapter faculty advisor since it started in 2015.

Leonard, social impact director for the College of Business, said she felt pride and joy to see UTRGV students on the stage in Austin, earning the title of Enactus USA National Champions.

“I was happy for the students to be recognized for the thousands of hours they have put into the projects that we developed,” she said. “The projects they presented were ones they had been working on for several years. They were able to not only show the impact they have had in their community, but also be recognized as national champions.”

Enactus is an international not-for-profit organization dedicated to inspiring future leaders to take entrepreneurial action to improve the lives of others. The mission is to inspire, support and educate students to use innovation to help make an impact in the community.

Leonard said she wants the students to know that everything they do with Enactus will help with their futures.

“Their mission is to continue to be servant leaders to their community. And to learn do that at this early age is going to impact and transform the trajectory of their professional and personal lives,” she said.

BRINGING SOCIAL IMPACT TO THE BIG STAGE

Each year, the Enactus Expo brings together students, academics, business and entrepreneurial leaders from across the country to showcase the impact young entrepreneurs and innovators have on communities. Students present projects that drive meaningful change through entrepreneurship.

The UTRGV Enactus team presented projects focused on bringing financial literacy education to the community and helping young people on the autism spectrum with professional development training.

The team’s journey has been guided by its dedication to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals and a deep-rooted belief in sustainability, empowerment and entrepreneurship.

Josiah Gonzalez, from San Benito, was one of the presenters for the competition. He says he was overwhelmed with joy when he learned they had won, the result of countless hours of hard work that finally paid off.

“I’ve been part of Enactus for three years and really devoted all my time to it. It means a lot to be able to showcase our projects and the work we’ve done, and be able to be recognized for it,” the senior finance major said. “And to ultimately represent the United States and our work in Kazakhstan … I was very excited.”

Each of the Enactus team’s projects had an impact on the community, from helping families to growing opportunities for individuals. With their financial literacy project, the team worked more than 200 hours and assisted 1,350 people, having a direct economic impact of $221, 050.

UTRGV Enactus volunteered about 236 hours to help young adults with autism find summer internships – 20 hours weekly for 10 weeks at $12.75 per hour, resulting in a $51,000 economic impact.

The project, called Sustainable Opportunities for Advancement and Recruitment (S.O.A.R.), is in partnership with Team Mario, a nonprofit organization that supports and advocates for children and families affected by the Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Texas Workforce Solutions.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ENACTUS

Alheli Mondragon, a fellow presenter and currently a master’s student in Business Administration, says Enactus is an excellent way to give back to the community. It helped shape her and helped her make a meaningful impact.

“We all grew up here – San Benito and Mission, McAllen – and our community is a wonderful place to be. We want to help it grow. That’s why we do what we do,” the McAllen resident said. “Enactus also helps you develop the soft skills you are going to need once you go out into the workplace.”

The organization offers opportunities for members to grow personally and professionally by bringing in guest speakers, and helps with resumes and networking.

From now until October, the Enactus team will be preparing for its global presentation, representing UTRGV and the United States.

Issac Salas, a senior marketing major, also was a presenter at the winning competition. He says knowing they soon will be on a global stage, presenting their projects, is motivating.

“It’s a surreal experience, just knowing that we’re going to be going to Kazakhstan, and we’re going to be among the other national champion organizations from their respective countries, and we’re going to be presenting about our hometown,” the Mission resident said. “Maybe when I’m actually there, I’ll be able to get my head around the idea that we’ll be on an international stage presenting about the Rio Grande Valley.”

Leonard and a modest number of Enactus members will be in Kazakhstan for the 2024 Enactus World Cup from Oct. 1-4, 2024.

Any students interested in learning about Enactus at UTRGV can contact Maria Leonard maria.leonard@utrgv.edu and/or search for Enactus on VLink.