(Sault Ste. Marie, ON November 22, 2023) – For the first time in Sault College’s history, students and faculty from its School of Business participated in the Ontario Colleges Marketing Competition (OCMC). The team travelled to Collingwood, Ontario late last week and showcased their skills in the OCMC which featured both Quiz Bowl and Case Study competitions.
In the Quiz Bowl, the team of Alexis Stinson, Michelle Nolan, Deborah Kasprovicz dos Santos, and Kayla Potts faced off against other teams to answer marketing questions in a trivia format. Although the team had an early lead in the semi-final round, they were unable to advance to the finals. “These four students did an amazing job against some tough competition,” said Kevin Hemsworth, Sault College’s Quiz Bowl coach, Professor in their first-year marketing class, and new Director of Student Services and Success. “They’ve had only ten weeks of a single introductory marketing class and competed against second-year students from full marketing programs,” he said.
In the Case Study competition, students Jo-Maree Manlulu and Laura Johanna Alarcon took on cases in Retail Marketing and Entrepreneurship, while first-year students Brady Lequelenec-Watts and Keenan Haavaldsrud presented a solution in the Marketing category. Students had 30 minutes to read a case and prepare their proposed solution, followed by a 15-minute presentation to a judging panel that included industry professionals and case clients. Manlulu and Alarcon finished fourth out of 13 teams in the Entrepreneurship category, an incredible result considering the team had only been preparing since late September.
“We are so proud of the accomplishments of all of our students at OCMC,” said Ben Oliver, Professor in the School of Business and OCMC Case Study coach. “The look of accomplishment on their faces coming out of the presentation rooms and when their name was called at the awards gala said it all. Regardless of the outcome, this is the kind of experiential learning our students need to grow and gain confidence so that they can be successful in their careers. We can’t wait to come back with an even bigger team in 2024.”
The students were in unanimous agreement that participating in the OCMC was extremely valuable. “This will be the highlight of my Sault College days and I will forever cherish the opportunity to be part of Sault College’s representatives,” said Manlulu. Her partner in the case study Alarcon agreed, sharing that “it meant a lot to be part of this. This whole experience taught me so much, not only academically but also personally. I hope that in the coming years many other Sault College students can live this experience and get the best out of it, like I did,” she said. Alexis Stinson added “I think I can speak for all of us when I say we had a blast, and it was an experience we will never forget.”
“When the faculty came forward with the idea to enter a Sault College team into the OCMC, we quickly offered our support. These are the types of experiences that we strive to give our students to complement our programming. Our students gained confidence and skills from participating in this provincial competition and we are thrilled that they had such a positive experience,” says Martha Irwin, Dean, Business and Information Technology.
Students and faculty all commented on the warm invite they received from their rival colleges and wanted to thank everyone involved – including host Georgian College – for cheering them on and making them feel so welcomed. OCMC 2024 moves to Windsor next fall, where the event will be hosted by St. Clair College.
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