On the afternoon of March 31, students in the College of Business Engagement Center looked a bit more formal than usual. Dawning dapper suits and business attire, they gave their teams riveting pep talks and offered words of encouragement between themselves and competing groups. Now was the time to smooth the wrinkles and straighten their ties, for that afternoon, they would find out whose case analysis would score their team a $1000 scholarship.
The annual “Create Your More” Case Competition has been hosted by the College of Business for the last four years. This competition challenges industrious undergrad students to come up with innovative, rigorous, and clear solutions to complex real world business issues.
During the competition, teams consisting of 3-5 students put their problem-solving skills to the test through two rounds of judging. The first round involves a written case report containing tables, graphs, and data in support of their proposed solutions. The document is then judged to determine which teams will advance to the final round.
This year, three teams advanced to the final round, which was held at the same time as the awards ceremony. Each team gave a formal 10-minute presentation followed by a Q&A with the judges. Once all of the teams had concluded, the judges convened to determine the placing. Students peeked over their seats with bated breath and intermingled until someone yelled, “I think they are done, they are all standing up!”
Thanks to donations from the WSU Foundation and the COB Engaged Learning Endowment, all three teams were awarded a scholarship: $1000 for first place, $750 for second place, and $500 for third place.
Aanuoluwapo (Favour) Ogunwole, Saron Bantte, and Jacob Gareis were members of the victorious Team Fajasa. Their unique title was the result of combining all of their first names into one cohesive word. Their creativity also shone through during their presentation. Their ingenuity and deep analysis of the numbers impressed the judges and won them the competition.
After witnessing how polished the other teams’ presentations were, Ogunwole said the victory came as a surprise.
“It was so unexpected because the other teams’ projects seemed so professional. They even handed out pamphlets and everything.” Ogunwole said
Their successful team had an unexpected start.
“The team was made by Favour frantically coming up to us after the signup deadline.” Gareis chuckled.
This was their first time competing together.
“Saron is my roommate, and with Jacob, I had always wanted to compete in the case study together!” Ogunwole explained.
Each member brought a different perspective to the table. Drawing from their education, they could play to their strengths in Accounting, Data Science, and Statistics. They made for a well-rounded and knowledgeable group.
“If I had to say why we did as well as we did, it was we all came at it from very different angles. Like our financial viability, that came from our different backgrounds.” Gareis said proudly of his team.
According to the College of Business, the competition exists to “provide a platform to apply classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios, network with peers and faculty, and gain valuable feedback from experienced judges.”
Bantte describes how this experience could apply to her future endeavors.
“If I become a data scientist in the future, I would talk with shareholders and explain things in a technical way,” Bantte said. “This gives me an idea of how I could communicate my ideas properly.”
For students interested in “Creating Your More” this annual competition is a great way to put your knowledge to the test and come up with inventive solutions as a team. It is incredibly rewarding in many different aspects. Plus, who knows what could happen? Your team just might be the next big winner!
