Source: Sharon Breiner, 785-532-6085, sbreiner@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Kayela Richard, 785-532-2535, media@k-state.edu

Friday, Nov. 19, 2010

K-STATE STUDENTS TAKE SECOND AT INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP COMPETITION

MANHATTAN -- Four Kansas State University students used their diverse backgrounds to place second overall in the recent International Leadership Association Case Study Competition.

"The Case Study Competition lets students analyze a real-world situation and make recommendations based on the information presented," said Sharon Breiner, instructor of leadership studies at K-State.

This year's competition was in Boston, Oct. 26-30.

The team included: Allan Saylor, senior in management, Hutchinson; Jared Betts, senior in English, Salina; Kendall Marvin, senior in animal sciences and industry, Idaho Falls, Idaho; and Momoko Sekiguchi, junior in psychology, Tokyo, Japan. All four students also are in K-State's leadership studies program.

The competition includes a written brief, poster session and an oral presentation. The team had to work together, drawing from their different academic majors to complete each project.

"The students put in an immense amount of time on evenings and weekends preparing for the competition," Breiner said. "They turned their written brief in one week before the conference, and had their poster prepared to present on the first day of the conference."

Once selected as one of the competition's three finalists, the K-State team spent the week of the conference gathering information and ideas from researchers and practitioners for a final oral presentation.

K-State students have competed in the event since 2006 in Vancouver, when they won first place.

Breiner said it's important for students in the competition to be involved with the leadership studies program.

"The School of Leadership Studies at K-State allows students to develop both a theoretical and practical framework for exercising leadership within the university and beyond," she said. "Our communities need talented young people who are willing to exercise leadership."