From Bekah Thayer, Junior, BHP/Finance

This past fall, three of my fellow classmates and I participated in the Student Consulting Initiative (SCI) Case Competition. This McCombs organization has a mission to strengthen the Austin community through student consulting services while also providing opportunities for students to apply their business education. Each team is assigned a small startup company in the Austin area and given the opportunity to analyze their business strategy and assist them in the improvement and expansion process.

Our group was given Active Life Movement, the only non-profit company on the list. At first, we were frustrated since most teams prove their completed progress through an increase in revenue on the balance sheet. However, after meeting with the devoted founder and CEO, we quickly developed a shared passion for the organization and its purpose. Their vision is to create an American culture which values and supports a healthy lifestyle through equipping people and places to build and sustain healthy communities. He desired for our team to expand Active Life’s presence in the college community.

We produced a video detailing the need to “make healthy the norm,” which featured various university leaders. We then reached out to different student organizations and people to aid in the process of making the video go viral. Through the use of social media, and the creation of our own “Active Life” student organization, we infiltrated the Austin campus with this movement. However, it did not stop there. Through the establishment of a reusable games model partnered with HEB, we were able to structure a system that could be implemented at various campuses and companies throughout the country. This was an easy way to reward people for participating in healthy activities, such as walking the dog, while joining the community together in the goal to live healthier. 

This level of responsibility for expanding and improving a company gave me a groundbreaking, broader perspective on business strategies. At the end of the competition, our team gave a detailed presentation to the judges to attest to our performance. The passion we had for Active Life movement and the transformation we made at UT caused them to grant us with the “Exemplary Character Award.” The experience was lengthy and exhausting, and working with a non-profit company added a whole new plethora of challenges. However, our team came together and utilized each of our individual skills to better the company in the long run.

Many of the difficulties we had to overcome during this experience will help me become a stronger communicator and quicker learner in many future business circumstances. We adapted to the given circumstances and expanded our learning curves to successfully complete the challenge. Our rewarding experiences would not have been possible without the SCI Case Competition.

After my rewarding experience with SCI, I applied for the Executive Board and am now one of the client relations directors. I have a true passion for this organization’s mission and can attest to the value it brings to both students and the Austin community.

100 for 100 Campaign
Three years ago, the McCombs BBA/MPA Alumni Advisory Board established the BBA Alumni Endowed Excellence Fund to help enhance the educational experience of students at McCombs. This endowment was created by McCombs alumni for McCombs students and will provide funding to support student-led initiatives like international case competitions, VIP speaker series and investment research and trading competitions.

As part of the 100/100Campaign, we are asking every McCombs graduate to commit only $100 to the fund; by the end of August, we hope to have reached our goal of $100,000 in cash donations. If your employer has a corporate matching program, we will get even closer to our goal and be well on our way to the $500,000 target fund size. Please consider making your $100 gift. Make a gift online or mail your check to the address below:

The University of Texas at Austin - McCombs School of Business
Office of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations
1 University Station, B6006
Austin, TX 78712

Make check payable to: UT McCombs School of Business
Memo: 100/100 Fundraising Initiative