East Central College Class of 2023 graduate Katie North was recognized for her success in an international business simulation that had her competing against students from colleges and universities across the globe.

North, St. Clair, graduated from ECC Summa Cum Laude in the spring with an Associate of Science in Accounting. She is returning to ECC this fall to earn an Associate of Science in Business.

During the Spring semester, North and her peers in a Business Capstone class participated in a simulation, in which each student becomes the person in charge of all business decisions for a globally active company and must make decisions about labor, funding, social responsibility and marketing.

According to Lisa Hanneken, ECC Business and Accounting programs coordinator, during the “Business Strategy Game” by GLO-BUS Software, Inc., students must determine the type of product to sell, the product marketing and its pricing, and many more factors, including how to sell the products, retail, wholesale or online.

ECC students are measured against other students in the simulation from colleges and universities throughout the world. Each student has the potential to rank among the top 100 companies of the week.

“Occasionally, we have a student who places in the rankings one, or maybe even twice a semester, but Katie did so six weeks in a row,” Hanneken said. “This means she competed against tens of thousands of other students globally from mostly four-year institutions.

“Essentially, all 50 states are represented numerous times, but also Canada, Germany, China, Japan, Italy, Argentina, Spain, the Netherlands — it’s a really big picture,” she added.

Invitational Simulation

Because North fared so well during the capstone class, she was named an “Industry Champion” by GLO-BUS Software, Inc., and she participated in an invitational with other students who also have exceptional business and accounting skills.

“I have really enjoyed being part of the original simulation and the invitational,” North said. “It was such a privilege to be invited to participate in the invitational alongside other industry winners from all over the world.”

She continued to show her business acumen throughout the invitational, where she placed fourth overall.

“I enjoy the challenge of matching wits with others in academic settings,” North said.

She added that the invitational was much faster paced than the original simulation and there was a deadline every weekday for two solid weeks.

“This simulation was a great way to cap off my academic journey at ECC,” North commented. “It required me to draw on what I had learned in a multitude of other classes, including Cost Accounting, Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, and Fundamentals of Management.

“Through the simulation, I learned several lessons about managing a business that are hard to teach in the classroom, making it a useful tool to simulate the decisions that a CEO must make in running a business in the corporate world,” she added.

ECC Accounting Award

North also was named ECC’s Doyle Stricklin Memorial Award recipient for Outstanding Performance in Accounting.

The Stricklin Award is given annually by ECC’s Accounting Program. North was presented the award by Tanner French, Business and Accounting programs instructor.

“I have had the privilege of having Katie in several classes during her time at ECC and she has been an awesome student,” French said.  “When Katie is in a class you definitely notice, she is like a force of nature, it doesn’t matter what is on a test or assignment – nothing slows her down much.”

He added that North is organized and the “paragon of professionalism.”

“I’ve also noticed that Katie is virtuous and caring, and she’s been an absolute joy to have in class,” French said. “Wherever her life takes her next, I am confident that not only will Katie do well, but that wherever it is she lands, they are not ready for the force of nature that is about to walk through that door.”

ECC Experience

North said she received tremendous support from her business and accounting instructors, Hanneken and French, over the past two years at ECC.

“I have had an incredible experience at ECC, primarily due to the amazing professors,” she said. “My accounting and business professors were incredibly supportive and always available to answer questions.

“They made sure that all of their students understood the concepts of the class and they got to know me on a personal level,” North added. “I always looked forward to being in their classes each semester, and I’m thankful for everything they taught me over the past two years. I can confidently say that they made a positive impact on my college experience.”

North noted that she is spending the summer working part-time at a local company, and volunteering more than 50 hours a month as a Jehovah’s Witness.