Cambrian College Hosts High School Business Case Competition

SUDBURY – It was mostly work and some play as more than 60 students from nine high schools across Greater Sudbury entered the ‘dragon’s den’ at Cambrian College this week for the 2nd Annual High School Business Case Study Competition.

During the competition, students worked in teams to analyze a complex business case and then problem-solved to develop creative solutions. The High School Business Case Study Competition is sponsored by KPMG.

“We feel strongly at Cambrian College that hands-on learning is the most effective way for students to develop their critical thinking skills,” says Craig O’Neill, professor and program coordinator of the Bachelor of Business Administration program at the Douglas A. Smith Family School of Business at Cambrian College. “We are very grateful to KPMG for sponsoring the event. It is a proud partner and champion of our Bachelor of Business Administration degree program. I also want to thank Kivi Park and the Municipality of Wawa for agreeing to help develop the real-world case studies with our Cambrian faculty and giving local high schools students this opportunity.”

Students in grades 9 and 10 had to develop a marketing plan for Kivi Park, a 195-hectare recreational area in Greater Sudbury that includes trails for walking, hiking, cycling and skating as well as paddling and fishing. The team of Endora de Lange and Max Hunter, grade 10 students at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School, won this category.

The town of Wawa was the focus of the case study for students in grades 11 and 12. They had to produce a plan to attract more people to move to the community, north of Sault Ste. Marie, to be part of the town’s future path to prosperity. The winning team featured Abby Sugeng and Katelyn Colasimone, grade 12 students at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School.

“This experience was a great opportunity to network, learn from other students, be exposed to real world scenarios, and receive valuable feedback from professionals within the community,” says Abby Sugeng. “Participating in this event has helped me to develop essential skills such as public speaking, research, and collaboration which will be very useful for my future endeavours.”