GMC Hosts High School Business Language Competition

PROVO, Utah – Apr 21, 2015 – Teenagers from across Utah gathered at Brigham Young University to put their Spanish and marketing skills to the test at the High School Business Language Competition hosted by the Whitmore Global Management Center.

“The competition shows students that knowing a language is a great asset that can set them apart and gets them thinking about their future through the lens of international business,” says Laura Ricks, GMC international programs coordinator.

Nine teams from five schools were tasked with evaluating and marketing a new Blendtec food prep system toward the Utah Hispanic community. The winning teams were chosen not only for their language and marketing prowess but also for how well they embraced Hispanic culture by showing how the food processor can speed up preparation time of traditional Hispanic food.

“The students’ language abilities are very impressive and I am always amazed by their grasp of business concepts,” says Carlos Aguilera, vice president of channel development for Blendtec and a judge at the competition. “The winning team displayed a deep understanding of how culture plays a part in business and used that to its advantage.”

Judges awarded three different teams from Skyline High School the first, second and third place prizes and $600, $300 and $100, respectively. Alessandro Gazani, a member of the winning team, returned to successfully defend his first-place finish in last year’s competition.

“I am really proud of my teammates that were learning to speak Spanish, and I have realized that working with a team is more rewarding than working by myself,” Ganazi says. “I am grateful to BYU for the opportunity to show my knowledge of business and how I can use my native language in my future international business career.”

The High School Business Language Competition is funded by the GMC’s CIBER grant from the U.S. Department of Education designed to foster an interest in global business among students of all ages. BYU is one of 17 schools in the country to receive the grant and $1.1 million award for its emphasis on international business development programs.

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.