Thursday, May 1, 2014
Rider's Zeta Psi chapter attended the Pi Sigma Epsilon National Conference for the first time
For the first time ever, Rider students competed at the Pi Sigma Epsilon National Conference, where they earned scholarships and accolades for their hard work while also networking and learning from top professionals in the marketing industry.
The mission of Pi Sigma Epsilon is "to develop the sales and marketing skills of its members through experiential learning and professional opportunities."
Rider's Zeta Psi chapter included six student delegates, who ranged from first year marketing majors to a senior focused on finance. The conference, held in Miami from April 8 to April 12, allowed them to both learn and compete against other chapters from across the country in the Pro-Am Sales Competition, the Recruitment Fair Challenge and the Case Study Competition.
Rider students did well in the Pro-Am Sales Competition, competing individually among 150 other students. Rachael Nissim placed in the top 30 against students from the College of New Jersey, Ohio State and Virginia Tech among others.
In another challenge, participants were asked to create new marketing materials for Southwestern Advantage. The Northeast Regional team to take first place included Jon Sanchez from Rider University. Sanchez was also one of five team finalists for the Regional Conference Marketing Challenge Award.
In addition, the PSE National Education Foundation recognized freshman Andrew Gordon from Rider with a scholarship that allowed him to attend the PSE National Convention and awarded him with a travel scholarship for this year. Gordon was also one of only eight students who was asked to be part of the PSE 2014 Future Leaders Team.
Finally, the top scholarship available at the conference is the Whan Memorial Scholarship given by Dorothy Whan in memory of her husband, Jake. Rider student Matt Kolbusz was this year's recipient of this prestigious $1,500 award.
Students also had numerous opportunities to meet other competitors with similar career interests and to attend seminars and lectures focused covering topics such as "Beyond the 7 Steps to a Sale: Relationships and Overcoming Rejection" and "Branding Yourself for Success" among others.
They were also invited to take part in a career fair and to network with others over the course of the conference.