Sweet Briar business management and economics students and faculty spoke at a meeting of officials from Virginia and Central Virginia Habitat for Humanity affiliates on April 20 at the Florence Elston Inn and Conference Center.

SBC business professor Tom Loftus addresses Habitat for Humanity officials from the state and Central Virginia chapters. More photosSBC made two presentations highlighting growing partnerships between Sweet Briar and the Amherst County Habitat for Humanity. SBC’s participation was part of an initiative to encourage county directors to foster such relationships with colleges and universities in their own communities.

The first presentation by business professor Tom Loftus and sophomore Jenny Walkiewicz focused on the work of students in the business management lab. The objective of the lab is to model real-world businesses by having students raise both funds and awareness for Habitat’s mission.

Over the past two years, students have organized several events, including the spring Battle of the Bands contests in 2006 and 2007. Combined, the events have raised more than $2,000 in donations for the Amherst chapter.

Addressing the county directors, Walkiewicz explained how Habitat projects pay the students back in kind. In addition to the hands-on experience, it’s a good cause where they can see their work directly benefit local people.

“It taught us to work for something bigger and better than where we are in class,” she said.

In fact, the first Battle of the Bands event generated enough excitement among students that several of them formed a Habitat club on campus and have participated in build projects.

Economics instructor Mellody Gotwalt, junior Allison Hancock and sophomore Sarah Hall made the second presentation. The two students are volunteering with Gotwalt to collect and analyze data to assess the economic impact of Amherst County Habitat for Humanity’s work in the community.

Gotwalt recently began working with Craig Cassell, executive director of the Amherst chapter, after Cassell asked Loftus whether Sweet Briar could assist his organization in putting together an economic impact statement.

Gotwalt and the students are looking at five specific areas of impact. They include such measures as how homeownership through Habitat affects the local tax base, social services and the benefits to clients served. The trio is in the early stages of collecting data.

Gotwalt described the project as a win-win for both groups. The students will provide answers to a real problem that confronts an organization in the community, which doesn’t have the in-house resources to address it on its own. It’s the kind of experience students can’t always get in the classroom or through internships, she said.

– Story by Jennifer McManamay and photos by Suzanne Ramsey, staff writers
Mellody Gotwalt (from left), Tom Loftus, Jenny Walkiewicz ’09, Sarah Hall ’09 and Allison Hancock ’08 talk before making their presentations to Habitat for Humanity state and county officials. The group highlighted Sweet Briar’s partnership with the Amherst chapter on several projects.