This spring semester, the Risk and Insurance Department’s Co-Curricular Learning Board (CCLB) companies graciously sponsored a case competition for students majoring in actuarial science and risk management and insurance. The 70+ participating students were teamed up and given one hour to read and analyze the case, which was centered around a business ethical dilemma. After their hour preparation period, each team was given approximately ten minutes to present their solution to a panel of CCLB representatives. Narrowing down from 19 teams, panelists chose the top five best presentations to move on to the final round. Finalists were then given an extension to the ethical dilemma and a 30-minute planning period before presenting their solutions to all competition participants. After a winning team was voted upon, all finalists–and a few lucky raffle winners–were awarded prizes donated by American Family, CUNA Mutual, Humana, Milliman, Swiss Re, and Travelers.
The opportunities that this case competition provided students were extremely impactful. From the very beginning, students were told to work with peers they hadn’t previously met. Because teammates generally had varying levels of experience, each student was encouraged to accept diverse viewpoints in pursuit of their solution. Further, the opportunity to present in front of company representatives and receive constructive feedback was an incredible way for students to bolster confidence in their presentation skills.
Personally, I experienced an immense amount of personal growth by participating in this case competition. By working on a team with students from various backgrounds and levels of experience, I became better at not only welcoming and accepting others’ points of view, but articulating my own. Time management was also a critical skill my teammates and I developed; one hour flies by when you’re tasked with reading, analyzing, and solving a case–my team had to work together efficiently to finish on time! Finally, the feedback my team received after our presentation will be very useful going forward, as we now have more refined ways to organize and deliver a presentation.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to participate in the CCLB Case Competition. I gained a few key business skills, met a few new friends, and networked with CCLB company representatives. Thank you to the six CCLB companies and their representatives for donating time and resources to hold this competition!
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