TYLER (KYTX) -- UT Tyler students are applying what they've learned in the classroom to real world situations.
And after completing project, they're showcasing them in a national competition.
The students have even gone to Nicaragua to help villagers.
"This is the ditch we were digging," says Students in Free Enterprise President, Cedric James.
Digging a ditch may not seem like a normal spring break activity for college students.
"Really made me think about every time I turn on the faucet and get fresh water," says James.
But Cedreic James and a handful of other members of students in free enterprise traveled to Nicaragua to help bring fresh water to a small community.
"I had never left Texas too much. I learned, got to experience, rural poverty at its utmost. People were very impoverished," says James.
The fresh water project was just one of 10, they planned this year.
They also helped women at the East Texas Crisis Center, and provided a budget workshop for fellow students.
"The connection between doing something with what you learned in the community and making other peoples lives better, not just working," says Tammy Cowart, the Faculty Advisor for SIFE.
That connection has taken this team to the top of the region in competition, and moved them to the national stage.
"Prepared speeches, time limits, multimedia presentations that goes with the speech," says Cowart.
"The judges are CEO's of Fortune 500 companies, so we're actually getting live exposure," says James.
Live exposure, and live experience.
"We're allowing students to learn how to be community leaders," says Cowart.
To lead the community, locally
"It started as a small idea and turned into a big project," says James.
And abroad.
The students will leave May 11th and compete beginning that day in Minneapolis.
If they advance through the 3 rounds that weekend, they would be competing on the international stage with 40 SIFE teams from around the world.
