A team of Grove City College business students are competing in the National Community Bank Case Study Competition.
The competition – sponsored by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) – gives undergraduate students an experiential learning opportunity to gain valuable, first-hand knowledge of the banking industry.
The Grove City College team of Susannah Barnes ’21, Margo Weller ’22, Karsten Lagerquist ’22, Alexander Hartzel ’22 and Jeffery Eide ’22 are working with executive staff at Mars Bank to research how the Butler County-based community bank responded to major forces that impacted the nation this year: the Covid-19 pandemic and a renewed commitment to diversity and inclusion.
“Our students have the opportunity to get a glimpse into the banking world through an original case study which highlights challenges for the banking industry,” Nicole Stone, chair and associate professor of Accounting and Finance, said.
Students will work with Grove City College alumnus Shawn Proper ’92, senior vice president of Mortgage and Consumer Lending, other Mars Bank executives and faculty adviser Thomas G. Ball ’88 to gather data and formulate an analysis regarding the impact of nationwide concerns on the community bank’s operations. The team will then present that analysis with a paper and a video.”
“This is a great hands-on project for students to apply their class knowledge to a real-world application,” Stone said.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Banking and Securities Richard Vague commended the Grove City College team and 12 others from colleges and universities in the state for their participation. The Keystone State contingent is the largest in the nationwide competition.
“We are so pleased that Pennsylvania students once again continue their strong showing in the annual CSBS competition,” Vague said. “The willingness of Pennsylvania’s community banks to engage and partner with these student teams to examine these timely, relevant issues is further testament to their commitment to the communities they serve.”
Winners go on to the 2021 CSBS – Federal Reserve Community Banking in the 21st Century Research and Policy Conference in October.