By Cameron Pettrone
Staff Writer
St. Bonaventure’s Caribbean Association for Student Action group, or CASA, reached a peak number of student members this year.
According to Todd Palmer, Ph.D., a professor in the school of business and the head of the group, CASA now has about 40 student members at Bonaventure.
“We’ve been doing an Enactus trip to the Bahamas for 14 years,” Palmer said. “We chose the Bahamas because it was a combination of language, cost and the ability to be able to take what we do in the classroom and translate it quickly into ground projects.”
Enactus has many chapters across the world and focuses on student leadership and entrepreneurship.
CASA originated from a group of students in the Bahamas who wanted to emulate our school’s Enactus club.
“About three years ago we approached the University of the Bahamas about the possibility of partnering,” he said. “At the end of the trip, a group came up to me and asked if they could make their own Enactus club.”
The acronym “CASA” was settled on as a name for the group.
According to Palmer, the group is committed to connecting and working with students across borders.
This year, the group has more members than ever.
“This year we hit critical mass,” he said. “We have about 40 members.”
Palmer emphasized the commitment and drive that the students in the group possess. “They work very hard, and the growth they have shown is absolutely astonishing.”
Shakiel Deleveaux-abioye, a junior business administration major, is a member of CASA. He said that the group has been very beneficial to him.
“I have been able to network with individuals whom I never would have gotten the opportunity to do so with,” he said. “As a business major, this is important to me because it taught me that I don’t have to limit myself to one, two or even three countries when I pursue any future goals.”
Deleveaux-abioye also explained other ways that the club benefits students.
“It focuses on the development of its members in areas such as leadership and project planning and completion,” he said.
If you are interested in getting more information about the group, you can contact Todd Palmer at tpalmer@sbu.edu.
pettrocj16@bonaventure.edu
