“Idea, process, resources, results.”

Krist Schell, the adviser of WKU’s Enactus team, uses these words to describe the group’s model for success.

Enactus is not a social club, but a club designed for like-minded people to work hard together. Its mission is to provide students with a learning experience that can build tangible skills in the business world.

“It’s an organization that’s a lot of work, but it’s very cool because we actually do things,” Michael Harrell, the CEO of WKU’s Enactus team, said. “It does require your time, but in my mind, if you’re a business major, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be in Enactus.”

“It’s actually taking all of the knowledge that you’re [gaining] in class: writing emails, what a business meeting looks like, connections, talking with real professionals, and it’s teaching you what that looks like,” Harrell said.

A business organization designed to inspire students to make change through entrepreneurship doubles as a people-helping-people organization. Through different projects and competitions, the Enactus team works hard to achieve goals for the betterment of Bowling Green’s community.

“Enactus is helping to create economic value for Bowling Green,” Harrell said.

“What that means is we work with local business and work with local entrepreneurs to help create an economic value. An economic value could be anything that helps benefit that business. That doesn’t necessarily have to relate to money but how we can benefit them.”

The team’s projects are not only done as community services or resume builders but also as a competition.

“All these projects that we’re doing are to show that we’re actually doing all of these things,” Harrell said. “And we are creating economic value.”

For projects to be considered for Enactus, they must be certified as sustainable.

“What that means is that we have to be able to create something and then give it away to someone and it all still works and it’s self-sustainable.” Harrell explained. “We’ll still play a role in it, for this next year, maybe a little longer … within a year it’ll be self-sustaining.”

One of the key points in an Enactus project is building the foundations of a good team.

“It’s not only just about the organization but it’s also about the team members,” Harrell said. “As CEO, your goal is to see your team members grow. [It’s] to see that what you’re doing is benefitting them, and to see what you’re doing is actually helping them become a better student, become a better businessperson, become just a better human being.”

Schell described the program as being “well designed,” and that it “creates wins over and over again.” Schell said Enactus gives students opportunities to participate in progress, growth, and allows them to “become even more exceptional.”

If students want to change the world, Schell believes Enactus is the place to go.

Enactus on campus is currently working on several projects, the next of which is the Night Market, a showcase of local businesses on Sept. 29 at Stadium Park Plaza.

Weekly meetings take place on Mondays at 5 p.m. in Grise Hall room 238. Though the club has a business emphasis, people of all majors are welcomed to participate.

Laurel Deppen can be reached at (270)745-2655 and [email protected].