Pima Business Students Present Fresh Ideas, Take First at Statewide Business Competition

By Anne T. Denogean and Justin Kree

What began as a group of students who barely knew each other a few weeks earlier ended with a first-place finish at one of Arizona’s top collegiate business competitions.

At the 2026 Arizona Community College Excellence (ACCE) Case Competition, hosted by the University of Arizona Eller College of Management, five Pima Community College teams competed against students from community colleges across Arizona. When the results were announced, PCC’s Team Purple earned first place, continuing the College’s strong tradition of success in the prestigious statewide event.

“I’m incredibly proud of our Business students,” said Vivian Knight, Department Head of Business at PCC. “Their professionalism, teamwork and creativity stood out throughout the competition. This experience highlights both their talent and the strength of our programs in preparing them for real-world success.”

Team Purple included students Hector Maytorena Abreu, Jack Ogle, Pricila Miguel and Joshua Travis, working under the guidance of faculty advisor Cory Pearson. Together, they developed a winning proposal grounded in collaboration, creativity and trust.

“This wasn’t the typical ‘everything clicks’ group experience,” Pricila Miguel said. We faced constant misalignments in our ideas and approach - even during parts of the competition itself. But instead of letting that hold us back, we learned how to adapt in real time, rely on each other’s strengths and keep moving forward.”

For Miguel, that faith in each other made the difference.

“Going in, we weren’t as confident as we should have been - but we trusted each other,” she said. “That’s what got us the win.”

Students were tasked with developing a strategy for a local car wash company, focusing on increasing subscriptions to its top-tier membership. Team Purple responded with a thoughtful three-phase approach designed to influence customer behavior and highlight the value of premium services. The strategy included offering a premium trial so customers could experience higher-tier benefits risk-free, adjusting prices to align with industry standards and improve margins, and most importantly, using in-lane screens to display before-and-after underbody wash footage (part of the premium tier service) as a visual upsell.

“That was our home run,” Miguel said.

While the idea stood out, the team’s journey to success was guided by faculty advisor Cory Pearson, who helped students organize their thinking early in the process, while ensuring the work remained entirely their own.

“I spend about 20 minutes with them in the beginning just to help them brainstorm and get focused - make sure they cover all the bases. But all the ideas are really their own.”

That approach reflects the purpose of the ACCE Case Competition: giving students the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios. Participants analyze business challenges, collaborate under pressure and present their solutions to local companies.

For Miguel, presenting was her biggest fear.

“I’ve always said presentations and I aren’t best friends,” she said. “But this certainly boosted my confidence. Now I proved to myself that I can do this.”

Pearson noted that the members of Team Purple had only recently begun working together, first meeting during a mock competition just weeks before the event.

“They were really nervous,” she said. “But after meeting a few times and really coming together, they found their rhythm and worked really well.”

That ability to quickly build rapport, communicate effectively and solve problems became one of the team’s greatest strengths.

“We were able to deliver together,” Miguel said. “Getting to know your team on a personal level really makes a difference.”

The competition itself is designed to mirror genuine business environments. Students work with actual company data, interact with business representatives and develop strategies that realistically could be implemented. That firsthand experience helps bridge the gap between academic learning and professional application.

“During the competition, it felt like we were part of the company’s team,” Miguel said. “We were using their information, asking questions and thinking about real outcomes.”

Across all five PCC teams, students demonstrated analytical thinking, creativity and professionalism. Their performance reflects the strength of the College’s Business Department, which has consistently produced top competitors in the ACCE Case Competition. Over the past 11 years, PCC teams have earned eight first-place finishes, three second-place finishes and two third-place finishes. This year’s first-place finish adds to that legacy and demonstrates the growth that can happen through the opportunity to create and present a business proposal.

For Miguel, the competition changed how she sees herself and her future.

“I can see myself in a real job making this type of pitch,” she said. “I look forward to continuing to grow from experiences like this.”