Smith Hosts Case Competition for Local High Schools

Smith student Philip Peker ’18 writes about the Prince George’s County High School Mock Case Competition, held on March 17, 2017, at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Learning business in the classroom is akin to learning how to play a sport by watching it. Yes, it may help you to get accustomed with the rules of the game, and some of the tactics and strategies, but in order to learn the game, you must play the game. Business is a game of strategy and opportunity and Smith is proud to be the arena that encourages all, including high school students, to participate. On the morning of Friday, March 17^th, Smith faculty, the Smith Undergraduate Program and professional business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi (AKPsi) welcomed Prince George’s County high school students to participate in a mock case competition.

As Van Munching Hall's doors opened up on the crisp, wintery morning, six Prince George's County high schools rolled in: Largo High School, Flowers High School, Roosevelt High School, Oxon Hill High School, Suitland High School, and Wise High School. Upon settling in, the high school students were introduced to the Smith student leaders at the event and given the case brief and instructions for the day. The case asked the high school students to redesign and rebrand Snapchat’s recent product launch, “Spectacles by Snap,” a pair of sunglasses that also give one the ability to record videos.

Next, the students were divided into five disciplinary groups: accounting, finance, marketing, operations, and supply chain. Each group was coached by a two or three AKPsi students who specialize in the respective field. For example, junior finance major Adam Harrison, along with two other AKPSi students, led the finance group, giving a cursory overview of concepts such as fixed cost, variable cost and break-even analysis.

Then came the eagerly awaited lunch break, which was followed by the main brainstorming and working session. Now that each high school had its specialists in the five disciplines, the schools reconvened and formulated strategies to redesign and rebrand Snapchat’s new product. Each group was responsible for submitting a final PowerPoint deck that they would later present to a panel of judges for deliberation and awards.

These six high schools are focused on business and innovation, developing leadership and strategy sensibilities early on. Smith’s partnership with local high schools like these six is an important step towards nurturing a connective, symbiotic ecosystem that promotes rigorous, high-quality business mentorship and education. The key is starting early. This case competition is just one of many proactive steps Smith takes to encourage business mentorship in the Washington, D.C., metro area, for all students, of all backgrounds. Encouraging student diversity in business communities allows the diversity of ideas, which then enables greater creativity, innovation and range of perspectives.

“With this event, we want to show students the importance of approaching education with an open mind. Smith has so much more to offer than just its majors, and we want to give students a taste of some of the exciting extracurricular opportunities here, such as getting involved with case competitions or a professional business fraternity like AKPsi,” says Jacob King, junior operations management and data analytics major, as well as an AKPsi brother.

The students were grateful for such a unique, hands-on experience. As I walked around the different rooms, I could see students eagerly discussing, debating, and strategizing with their group. Every single person was excited to be a part of such a dynamic, purposeful experience. For example, Steloni Mason from Oxon Hill High School was initially inspired to study business by her mother, a business owner herself. “Right now, I’m still not sure about what exactly I want to focus on in business, but the excitement and energy of it is what keeps me interested. I’m looking forward to coming to a university like UMD that gives me the freedom to choose, and doesn’t box me in,” says Steloni.

Smith, together with AKPsi is proud to continue supporting the infrastructure for a more innovative and diverse business environment.

For more information about the undergraduate program at Maryland Smith, visit: http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/undergrad