草榴社区’s team of business students took home top honours at the 2023 Western Canadian Business Competition (WCBC) at Douglas College. They won first place in the coveted “Strategic Plan” category and added two second place finishes for “Simulation Score” and overall “Junior Division.”
After weeks of preparation, 草榴社区’s Shannon Fairservice, Bernadeth Prestano, Joses Lee, and Neha Clair faced off against five junior teams from other BC post-secondary institutions and emerged victorious.
“We are incredibly proud of our business students who recently competed in the WCBC,” said Wendy Male, 草榴社区’s dean of human services, university transfer, and business studies. “Their success is indicative of the high quality of education and preparation that the 草榴社区 provides. Their dedication, work ethic, and strategic thinking resulted in this accomplishment. I have no doubt they will continue to achieve great things in the future, and we are honored to have played a role in their education and success.”
Each year, WCBC challenges students to apply the knowledge and skills obtained through their undergraduate programs in a simulated business scenario. To make the hypothetical scenario as realistic as possible, the simulation stretches over a multi-year timeline, and each student is assigned to a specific role focusing on Operations, Finance, Marketing, or Human Resources.
Shannon Fairservice was CEO for the team’s fictional tech company, Bagel Inc. Their hypothetical business develops, manufactures, and markets drones and small wearable action capture cameras, like GoPro.
“Our team faced a number of challenges before we even got to the competition, so it means even more that we did so well,” said Fairservice. “The weekend was long and intense, but our team rallied. Throughout the competition, we were able to regroup quickly, work together, and get it done.”
The team finalized their winning strategic plan presentation on Friday night, then spent the weekend delivering their presentation, participating in simulation rounds, and summarizing their results for judges who work in the business sector.
“I am very impressed and proud of our students,” shared Muhammad Rahman, associate dean of the school of access and continuing education. “They conducted themselves well and presented their case professionally with poise.”
Students aspiring to pursue a career in business can get more information through the Business Management certificate and diploma programs.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Christine Midgley, Content and Media Relations Officer
midgleyc2@cnc.bc.ca