PRESQUE ISLE — The University of Maine at Presque Isle welcomed area high school students to campus on Feb. 13 for the Junior Achievement of Maine — Titan Challenge event, which allows participants to compete against their peers across the state on business finance and marketing exercises. This is UMPI’s second year hosting the event, which was held in the Campus Center.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to help students prepare for future careers in business-related fields and to get exposure not only to a college setting but also to some major business leaders in the state,” Carolyn Dorsey, UMPI assistant professor of business management, said.
Photo courtesy of UMPI
Beth Alden, standing, a teacher with RSU39, and Paula Sperry, second from right, of Maine Public Service, help out as mentors during the Junior Achievement of Maine — Titan Challenge event hosted by the University of Maine at Presque Isle on Feb. 13. Together, they provided support for a team of Caribou High School students, composed of, from left: Nick Whitehead, Nick Matlock and Malorie Cyr.
About 15 three-student teams attended, with about 20 local business leaders on site acting as mentors throughout the process. Several dignitaries were on hand, including Michael Stone, Junior Achievement of Maine president; Dan Rodrigues, senior vice president of sales at EcoMedia; Chris Hackworth, director of sales for Travelers, Northern New England; and UMPI President Linda Schott.
During the day, students took part in sessions covering everything from price and production to marketing and research and development to capital investment and charitable giving. They also participated in preparation simulations and then four rounds of competition, teleconferencing live with their business-focused peers across the state. While on campus, students had the opportunity to learn more about college life, enjoying campus tours and lunch in Kelley Commons.
A special highlight of the day’s activities included special guest speakers from the Aroostook County and statewide business communities: Matthew Bell, president and CEO of Northeast Pellets, LLC, and Robert Moore, chairman and CEO of Dead River Company. Activities ended with the presentation of statewide awards.
The “Rams 2” team from Kennebunk High School and mentored by Peter Welles from IDEXX Laboratories placed first. Each member of the winning team took home $1,000 scholarships for post-secondary education. Second-place $500 scholarship winners went to “Biddeford 5” team from Biddeford Regional Center of Technology, mentored by Chris Magnuson of WASCO Products, Inc. The “Eagles 2” team from Erskine Academy mentored by Jamie St. Claire of KeyBank took home third place, winning $250 scholarships to each team member. All scholarships were generously sponsored by Maine Education Services.
For more information about Junior Achievement, visit http://jamaine.org/programs/titan-challenge/.
