By Sophie Foster
Copy Editor
Washington College’s branch of Enactus returned in full force this semester, and they’re ready to begin the process of expansion and growth.
According to previous Elm articles, the club, a branch of the international social entrepreneurship project Enactus organization, maintained a presence on the WC campus for over a decade. They introduced several initiatives to both the campus community and beyond — including the Soap with Hope endeavor in 2014, which helped introduce hygiene products to areas in need of them. The WC team were also the regional champions in the Washington, D.C. competition in 2017.
According to the Enactus page on the College’s website, the club is devoted to “harnessing the power of students in partnership with communities and businesses to transform lives and shape a better and more sustainable world.”
The organization, which has a presence on over 1,730 campuses, according to its international website enactus.org, is aptly named after the three driving principles behind its mission: entrepreneurial, action, and us.
Their website defines the organization as a “network of global business, academic and student leaders [that] are unified by [their] vision — to create a better, more sustainable world.”
According to President of WC’s Enactus Branch sophomore Emily Boggs, Enactus is an opportunity for student to refine skills in both business and service through the advancement of their entrepreneurial and innovative thinking.
The club allows students to practice collaboration, conduct service efforts, think simultaneously about their individual and shared impact on the world around them, and meet others who share these interests.
“Enactus encourages students to take what they learn in the classroom and apply these concepts to problems facing the real world,” Boggs said. “It is not done through simulation; these are real projects that the teams develop and execute to meet the needs of their community.”
In Enactus, teams have the chance to compete by sharing presentations of their projects and the community outcomes each project earns, according to Boggs. The WC team’s history reflects a strong record of competition placements, and beyond winning at the regional level once, the team previously competed multiple times at both the regional and national levels with their projects.
Boggs identified the club’s short-term goals as “team development and project planning.”
“We hope to build a team of passionate student leaders who want to put their business skills to use and help the community,” she said. “Once we get there, our next goal is to develop projects that we can take to competition and represent our school once again. We hope that Enactus can serve as a space to engage students in developing their skills outside the classroom and make a real impact on the world around them.”
Enactus is looking to reinvigorate its membership now that the College resumed its typical functioning following COVID-19 closures. Students interested in becoming involved with or learning more about Enactus can contact Boggs at eboggs2@washcoll.edu..
Students can also contact the branch’s faculty advisor, Associate Professor of Business Management Caddie Putnam-Rankin at cputnamrankin2@washcoll.edu or attend a club meeting, which are held on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in room 106 of Daly Hall.