Sheridan takes on OCMC 2015

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JESSICA ROVEDA

Sheridan’s marketing and advertising students can take a well-deserved bow after winning fourth place overall in this year’s Ontario Colleges Marketing Competition.

Hosted by George Brown College, the event took place at the Hilton Toronto Nov. 26 and 27. It put the skills of marketing students from 12 Ontario colleges to the test through a series of individual contests and team-based case challenges.

For Sheridan Pilon School of Business students, expectations were high to match last year’s first-place win. That didn’t happen, but the team was still thrilled when the announcer called their name.

Stephen Kostuk and Liz May, first place winners of Integrated Marketing Communications, share a hug to celebrate their big win.

Winning fourth place in Quiz Bowl, first place in Integrated Marketing Communications, fifth place in Retail, and second place in both Marketing Research and Prospect Pitching gave Sheridan a total of 29 out of 40 possible points to place them behind overall third-place winner Seneca College, second-place winner St. Lawrence College, and first-place winner Conestoga College.

The 22 students who participated walked away with more than just plaques. “[The competition] looks great on a resume, and it’s great for personal mentoring,” said Lori Elliott, Job Interview coach and associate dean of the Pilon School of Business at Davis Campus.

Rachel Phelps, 28, is one of two students who earned second place in Prospect Pitching. “[The competition] definitely helped me figure out a little bit more about what I want to do now.”

In addition to opportunities for future success, the experience as a whole made a positive impact on the students involved.

“It feels so amazing to take the stage and see your team right in front of you cheering (you) on,” said Melissa Colella, 28, who led Sheridan to fourth place in the Quiz Bowl event. “We worked so hard and we trained so hard for this.”

Karen Booth, coach for Prospect Pitching and marketing professor at HMC said students begin training two or three hours weekly for the OCMC as early as summer – and continue right up until the competition.

“We have a wrap-up celebration on Dec. 9 with other OCMC alumni students,” said Booth. “Then, starting February 2016, we still start recruiting and tryouts for OCMC 2016, which will be hosted by Conestoga College.”

Sheridan has been participating in the competition for over 25 years. It has earned first place in 2014, 2012, and 2010.

Sheridan hosted the competition in 2010, and will do so again in 2020.

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