ORLANDO, Fla. – Three Integrated Business (IB) students wowed a panel of business executives and took first place at the Integrated Business Competition on Friday, March 29. Students Angelena Klosner, Aaron Shishilla and Courtney Craig of team “Wack to Six-Pack” received top honors among the crowd of eight semi-finalist teams consisting of 40 students.
The signature event of the Integrated Business Department, The IB Competition, presented by Enterprise Holdings, requires students in the major to form their own teams, draft a business plan to help a struggling firm and, if selected, develop a 10 minute presentation outlining their entire plan and recommendation. Christopher Leo, D.B.A., Associate Lecturer in the Department of Integrated Business, highlighted the progressive cycle of student and alumni involvement in the competition.
“There is nothing more rewarding than having our IB alumni, most of whom competed in the IB Competition as students, come back and serve as semi-finalist judges,” Leo said. “It makes for an amazing networking event and speaks to the strong culture that the Integrated Business major has built since our inception in the Spring of 2016.”
Eileen Acken, Julia Della Valle, Brandon Bogumill and Allison McGahey, representing “Team (FIT)ness,” earned a second place victory. Team “AI Consulting,” comprised of students Nicole Stannard, Charleene Johnson, Caitlyn DeLoach and Antwon Smith, won third place.
At the IB Competition, students are given the opportunity to not only compete, but to also gain experience, advice, feedback and build their network with alumni and corporate partners. Competitors are challenged to apply skills and strategies practiced in the classroom to a real-world case project.
“The industry theme for this semester was the Gym, Health, and Fitness Center industry,” Leo said. “We had 30 IB alumni judges and eight finalist judges consisting of individuals from Enterprise Holdings and our advisory board.”
About the UCF College of Business
Established in 1968, the UCF College of Business offers degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and executive levels. All programs, as well as the Kenneth G. Dixon School of Accounting are accredited by AACSB International – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The college provides high-quality academic programs designed to give students a competitive advantage in the world of business now and in the future. Learn more at business.ucf.edu.