A team of four Hamline students has been selected to represent Hamline in a Business Analytics Competition and Conference hosted by Manhattan College in New York from May 24 to May 27.

For its second year in a row, the competition is being held to give undergraduate students the opportunity to test their knowledge and skill in the business analytics field. It will also allow students to make connections with professionals.

This competition draws participants from all around the country to compete especially in the presentation of data before peers, faculty, business analysts and data scientists from renowned establishments.

Dr. Kim McKeage, the team’s faculty sponsor said, “It gets our student onto a national stage.”

McKeage, who attended last year’s competition, talked about the learning experience and its importance, both for the participating students and the school’s curriculum. She mentioned infusing some of the things she learned over there into the business analytics curriculum to improve the students’ learning.

The two-stage competition consists of the students making and presenting a poster on data provided by Gilt.com, an online shopping website with over six million members, in the first stage, months before the competition. They will then make an “impromptu” poster to be presented on new data provided during the conference.

The current Hamline team, consisting of Kelly Foy (‘17), Tucker Hammel (‘17), Dan McKenzie (‘17) and Charlie Whelan (‘17), was selected after winning a run-off competition held by the school of business.

Foy is a junior majoring in financial economics and minoring in business analytics. McKenzie is majoring in Analytical economics. Whelan is going for a double major in financial economics and business analytics and Hammel is majoring in statistical economics.

“It is a very versatile team,” said McKeage.

The team members expressed their excitement not only in representing Hamline on the national stage, but also having the opportunity to explore The Big Apple and get an insight into what the state has to offer.

“I am really excited to be able to go to New York with my friends … and experience the place,” said Whelan.

They also mentioned the opportunity that the experience presents especially in improving their academic prowess, standing out to future employers and making professional connections.

“Charlie and I have already been able to use this to leverage ourselves into paid internships for this summer. It makes us more attractive to employers,” said McKenzie. “It also brings more clarity to what we learn in the classroom. It makes it more real.”

“We are expecting a tough go at it,” said McKenzie, “but we are feeling confident to place between the top three this year if not number one. We want to be able to represent Hamline very well… and we also want to be impressive for our own sakes.”

Mary Rose Rice (‘16), one of the students who represented Hamline last year at the competition, talked about its merits. “It’s a great opportunity…It gives students an edge in internships and future job opportunities…and it helps to connect with many other people.”

The team also gets the opportunity to connect with Hamline alumni in New York.

“We want our students to have aspirations to go wherever they want to go and we take this opportunity to connect them with Hamline people there,” said McKeage.