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The curious
William Wong
NHBC Toronto
The passionate
Sarah Sheppard
NHBC Ottawa
The learner
Celina Yin
NHBC Vancouver
William's Words
Prior to this competition, I never felt confident taking on case studies and always thought of it as daunting task. I did not know where to begin nor what questions to ask. I lacked a team going into the case competition and generally did not know what to expect. Needless to say, the event greatly exceeded my expectations. The various organizers for the workshops helped to explain everything, bringing in their real-world advice and experiences. After meeting with my team, I knew they were qualified and well-prepared contestants. As I was previously inexperienced, they familiarized me with the case competition. Each member took on our fair share of work and went out of our ways to help each other. If anything, I could trust my team to represent professionally in front of our judges. The experience is truly one of a lifetime, and I felt like a changed person. The amount of knowledge I took in that day, not to mention, the certificates and prize money will go a long way. I am infinitely grateful for the chance of attending the Illuminate Case Competition and I would recommend the opportunity to anybody.
Sarah's Words
The Illuminate National High School Business Competition was an outstanding experience, especially for students like myself who are interested in pursuing business. The event itself ran smoothly and felt very organized. It gave me the opportunity to network with other students and mentors who were all very friendly and excited to be attending this event. The Illuminate case competition gave our team the opportunity to develop new skills and learn about ourselves. The mentors had great leadership qualities with strong business knowledge. We were treated as professionals by the mentors and volunteers who helped run this competition. We got to work in board rooms and were encouraged to use our resources on-hand which allowed us to get creative with our pitch and ideas. Personally, I got to focus on the finance portion of the pitch and I learned about financial calculations, and how to express my calculations and conversions in a formal way. Additionally, the event taught us many life lessons. We heard speeches from the mentors, as well as life stories and impactful messages. I’m so glad that I got to experience this amazing opportunity.
Celina's Words
At first, the idea of a business case competition frightened me, but I was able to learn so many valuable skills and connect with so many new people through attending Illuminate NHBC. During the actual case preparation itself, I learned how to properly manage my time under a limited time period, as well as being able to stay on task and focus throughout the entire duration of the preparation. Working in a team and being able to use everyone’s assets to the fullest was a key factor that helped us get our ideas organized. In the presentation segments, I was able to learn how to formally present to judges and I treated it as if it was a real pitch. Additionally, being able to see my more experienced team members present was very valuable information for me, and I was able to apply those skills into my own delivery. In the presentations, participants were given a chance to learn more about how the economy works, including many other aspects of business. Just being able to participate has given me a much deeper understanding of the business industry as a whole, and definitely opened my eyes to a new path, and given me new experiences I could have never been able to achieve before.