Kwantlen Polytechnic University students won second place earlier this month at the Business and Accounting Students Case Competition and Conference (BASC) 2020. It was hosted by the Asper School of Business Accounting Association (ASBAA) at the University of Manitoba.
“I'm very proud of the hard work that this team of students put in in preparation for the competition, which included our regular team practices on evenings and weekends, plus many hours of additional practice and preparation beyond scheduled practices,” says Taryn Greig, instructor in the School of Business at KPU.
Greig and instructor Sam Newton coached the team for this competition. The team had four members – Wajeeha Rahman, Mehtab Singh, Hardip Virdi and Neha Bansal.
“It was clear to me that this group of students took their roles as ambassadors of KPU very seriously. They wanted to show a broader community of students, faculty and business leaders from industry what KPU accounting students are capable of and in my mind, they did a fantastic job representing KPU.”
KPU was one of several Western Canadian universities participating in the competition and the only university from British Columbia. It was also the first time KPU’s team competed in this competition.
“In this journey, I have learned to embrace changes and be flexible no matter what life throws at you. Those challenges are the ones that decide to either make you or break you as a team. No doubt that everyone had to work hard as a team and be willing to learn and continuously adapt with the changes, but I feel it was all worth in the end,” says Neha Bansal, one of student team members.
Greig says she enjoyed watching Bansal and the team compete and grow on a personal level.
“Case competitions require more than just technical knowledge of accounting - students are required to work under pressure, work in teams and identify personal strengths and weaknesses, along with those of their teammates, in order to be successful. As a result, I observed that this team formed a close-knit bond that I expect will last long after they leave KPU.”
She adds that the win showcases the level of preparation the accounting program at KPU gives the students to put their learning into action when they move beyond the classroom.
“KPU’s education provides a practical learning experience for all students to grow and hone their talents while learning relevant skills in-class. I have used all the concepts that I learned from my different classes at the case competition,” adds Bansal.
Learn more about KPU’s accounting program.