FAMU School of Business and Industry (SBI) students took home the first-place trophy and were crowned national champions of the National Black MBA Association’s (NBMBAA) National Student Case Competition earlier this month. During the competition, FAMU competed against 22 other schools across the country.This year’s winning team members were Antoinyce Eaton from Raleigh, N.C., Benjamin Evans from Philadelphia, Penn., and Cianna Reaves from Perry, Fla. Their win provided them with $15,000 in scholarship money and three championship trophies. All three are MBA students in SBI. The team is advised by SBI Professor Joycelyn A. Finley-Hervey.
“I am so proud of Cianna, Antoinyce, Ben and Dr. Finley-Hervey,” said SBI Dean Shawnta Friday-Stroud. “They demonstrated that SBI's rigorous and competitive Professional MBA and one-year MBA programs prepare professionals that are capable of solving today's complex business issues. I commend this team for bringing home the win for the third time in five years!”
FAMU first entered the competition in 2007, winning that year and again in 2008.
“Participating in the National Black MBA Association Chrysler Case Competition was one of the highlights of my year,” Evans said. “In addition, the experience of being able to network with students from universities across the nation and accomplished minority professionals was also rewarding. The intensity of competing against the top 22 schools in the nation and the hard work and effort that I and my teammates put forth in developing the perfect strategies for the competition paid off.”
The annual event is designed to give students an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and problem-solving skills in a formal competition. Students present their solutions and defend their analyses before a panel of senior executives, who evaluate the teams on presentation skills, thoroughness, and creativity evident in the analyses.
“The students displayed an impressive grasp of global business dynamics as it relates to this year’s challenging case study,” said Kim Harris Jones, Chrysler LLC senior vice president, corporate controller and auditor. “In particular, the students from Florida A&M delivered a sound analysis and unique solution that rose to the top to once again capture first place.”