John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation

Pi Sigma Epsilon Hosts Internal Professional Development Competition

December 9, 2021 | John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation News
By Taylor Achinger

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The University of Toledo’s Pi Sigma Epsilon (PSE) chapter hosted its annual Internal Professional Development Competition on Tuesday, November 30, 2021.

The competition consisted of eight different teams creating a presentation based on Pi Sigma Epsilon’s 12 principles.

Teams were made up of 4-6 senior coaches and 4-6 underclassmen competitors.

Competitors, senior coaches and judges were all able to attend either in-person or virtually.

Faculty, alumni and corporate sponsors were able to judge members based on their professionalism, organization, content and overall presentation skills.

“I was amazed by the members who stood up and presented on PSE values in front of faculty, alumni and corporate sponsors, demonstrating immense talent in preparation, public speaking and collaboration” said Courteney Buchanan, PSE alumni advisor.

Members of PSE were able to network with the judges before and after the event to learn more about their professional experiences and gain valuable insight into their careers.

“Our goal when putting on this event was to help our members sharpen their team building, networking, time management. and public speaking skills," said Taylor Achinger, vice president of professional development.

"We know that many internships end in a presentation, which can ultimately lead to full-time offers. This competition was the perfect opportunity for our members to practice those skills, receive feedback and work on bettering themselves for their careers. I am so proud of our members for their perseverance and can’t thank our judges enough for taking the time to help our members grow."

Each team was given one of the 12 PSE principles and was then able to put together a 6-minute presentation on their topic.

Teams chose a variety of routes in presenting their topics, but one of the most used examples was how the value looks in our chapter now, how we can implement it moving forward, and how you can take that value into your career.

Senior coaches aided in setting up team meetings and providing their team with the confidence to compete.

 “This was a fun and rewarding opportunity to develop our skills alongside people who are also continuously striving to become better," said Hoover and Abraugh from Team Honor.

"Being able to not only compete in this type of event but come away as the top team is such an incredible feeling. It was an honor to be a part of this team and see hard work and passion truly pay off.”