BYU Sweeps Business Language Case Competition

PROVO, Utah – Nov 24, 2014 – Two Brigham Young University teams showcased their Spanish and Chinese prowess by claiming top prizes at the eighth annual BYU Business Language Case Competition.

Competing against eight of the top universities in the country, the BYU teams continued a history of strong performances at the competition.

“Going in we knew BYU had won the Chinese category the past three years, so there was an expectation for how we should perform,” says Kindall Palmer, an economics sophomore from Mapleton, Utah, who competed on the Chinese team. “It was nerve-racking because we didn’t want to let anybody down, but it also gave us confidence that we could win.”

Before gathering together for the competition, students had two weeks to prepare a recommendation based on a case study regarding the launch of a credit card business in Romania. Winners were selected based on their presentation to a panel of judges, analysis of the case and mastery of the language.

The $2,000 first-place prize in the Chinese competition was shared by Palmer and teammates Seth Ferguson, a Chinese and economics junior from Orem, Utah, and Travis Stevens, a junior from Lakewood, Colo., also majoring in Chinese and economics.

The top-placing Spanish team was comprised of Travis Glock, an art history senior from Sutter Creek, Calif.; Grey Lund, a Latin American studies senior from American Fork, Utah; and Jerald Long, a business strategy and international relations junior from Lindon, Utah. Their win gave BYU its second first-place finish in the Spanish category in the last three years after taking second to the University of Indiana in 2013.

“I became good friends with the team from Indiana this year and saw the quality of their presentation,” Long says. “I was honestly expecting them to repeat, so winning was quite a feat. I was happy we could show the strength of the Marriott School on a national stage.”

The BYU Business Language Case Competition is hosted by the Kay and Yvonne Whitmore Global Management Center and is sponsored by the U.S. Translation Company. Universities participating this year included American, Bryant, BYU, Emory, Indiana, Rhode Island, UNLV and Washington. The event is a highlight of the Marriott School’s commitment to language education and preparation of students for success in international business.

“Every student is looking for more relevant experience to better prepare for life after graduation,” Ferguson says. “This competition was a great chance for me to gain that experience while improving my business language skills.”

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, entrepreneurship, finance, information systems and public management. The school’s mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School’s graduate and undergraduate programs.