NORFOLK, Neb. – Four business students at Northeast Community College recently returned home from a national conference in Des Moines, Iowa, with top honors in the case competition.
The team of James Doyle, Gavin Van Driel, Cohen Gallagher and Roman Briley finished first in the case competition at FBLA Collegiate’s Career Connections Conference.
Angela Shaffer, Northeast business instructor and FBLA adviser, said the conference was a fast paced, high-impact program focused on connecting talented individuals with leading employers.
“This is not just a meet and greet conference. It’s about getting what it takes to succeed in a challenging job market — interviewing techniques, building your personal brand, and navigating your early career,” Shaffer said.
The case competition was from an actual company called Lingo with a real problem they are facing. Here are the issues they had to present upon:
* Management Challenges: What management challenges might arise as Lingo scales its B2C model, and how can these be addressed proactively?
* Market Penetration: What specific marketing strategies should Lingo employ to break into the home school market and increase subscriptions? Consider elements such as targeted digital marketing, partnerships with homeschooling networks, and influencer marketing.
* Brand Awareness: What tactics can Lingo use to increase brand awareness and credibility among homeschool families? How can testimonials, case studies, or partnerships enhance trust in the LINGO brand?
* Product Differentiation: How can Lingo differentiate its STEM kits from competitors in the B2C market, particularly for homeschool families? What unique value propositions should be emphasized in marketing campaigns?
The conference, which was from Thursday, Oct. 24, to Saturday, Oct. 26, helped students to:
- Refine your personal brand with resume reviews and mock interviews.
- Hear from young professionals regarding what to expect as you search for a job and after you land a job.
- Network with both members of the business community and like-minded students from around the country.
- Leave with a professional headshot that can be used on your LinkedIn or resume.
- Prep for the real world by competing in case study competitions.
- Tour a business to gain new perspectives of the variety of jobs available.
Students went on business tours of Nationwide Insurance, RSM, Invision and Raygun. They also met with employers from Men's Warehouse, Nationwide, Principal Financial Group, CliftonLarsonAllen, Pro Forma Futures, US Federal Highway Agency, VITA IRS, Gravitate Coworking and Invision Planning Architecture and Interiors and Iowa Society of Certified Accountants.
One entire day of the conference was held at the Principal Financial Group's headquarters, and they attended panels with Deanna Strable, President and Chief Operating Officer; Chris Littlefield, President - Retirement and Income Solutions; Kamal Bhatia - President and CEO Principal Asset Management and Joel Pitz - Interim Chief Financial Officer.
They also attended a Young Professionals Panel with young leaders from Principal Financial Group. Finally, they attended workshops on AI Horizons: Navigating the Business Landscape of Tomorrow; Finding your Future: Navigating Early Career Choices with Confidence; Money Moves for your 20's; Networking Beyond the Event - Turning Conversation into Opportunities.
Gold Medal Winners
The Northeast Community College team that earned gold medals in the case competition was (from left) James Doyle, Gavin Van Driel, Cohen Gallagher and Roman Briley. They competed last month at FBLA Collegiate’s Career Connections Conference in Des Moines, Iowa. (Northeast Community College)
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