63 area high school students participated in McHenry County College’s 12th annual Marketing Challenge on Friday, April 14. The challenge invites high school students to create marketing plans for a local business. This year’s event was sponsored by Claudia Kendzior from Morkes Chocolates in Huntley.
As part of this year’s challenge, students presented ideas on making the business more appealing for teenagers to spend time socializing, doing homework, and meeting with study groups. The students were judged on the quality of their presentations and the creativity of their solutions.
All teams competed in Round 1 of the competition, then the top five teams went on to present in Round 2. The top three teams from Round 2 then competed in this last round of the competition.
“We were excited to bring these students on campus to experience MCC’s Marketing program,” said Dr. Sandy Domagalski, instructor of business management and marketing at MCC. “The students all had great ideas and enjoyed the opportunity to participate in a hands-on learning experience.”
Seven area high schools participated this year: Cary-Grove, Crystal Lake Central, Crystal Lake South, McHenry, Prairie Ridge, Woodstock, and Woodstock North. Participating students were chosen by their high school teachers.
In third place was McHenry Team 1 led by teacher Vanessa Kirk. Students on the team included Odessa Garcia, Reese Kominoski, and Kennedy O’Brien.
Coming in second place was McHenry Team 2, also led by teacher Vanessa Kirk. Students on the team included Lleyton Grubich, Nathanial Luedtke, Owen Micklinghoff, and Evan Griffiths.
Earning first place in the competition was Cary-Grove Team 3, led by teacher Theresa Miller. Students on the team included Madison Reed, Erin Wadzinski, Charlotte Hastings, and Brady Alexander.
“The Marketing Challenge gives students an opportunity to collaborate with their peers, network with area business owners, and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges that businesses encounter,” said Theresa Miller, who teaches business, marketing, and consumer education classes at Cary-Grove High School. “It’s an opportunity for them to demonstrate what they’ve learned in a real challenge. The business owner may actually implement some or all of their marketing plan.”
For more information about MCC’s marketing programs and certificates, visit
www.mchenry.edu/marketing.
