MANSFIELD, PA (04/21/2023) Commonwealth University-Mansfield is among eight Pennsylvania colleges and universities who will take part in the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) 2023 Community Bank Case Study Competition this year.
In 2022, students from Mansfield partnered with Citizens & Northern Bank (C&N) of Wellsboro, and earned second place in the CSBS competition.
Students involved in the competition are Hannah Caccia, of Williamsport; Ethan Allen, of Ulster; Seth Anderson, of Troy; and Sierra Shedden, of Canton, and will be accompanied by their advisors, Atika Benaddi, Xiaoxuan Ji, and Xia Zhou.
“It is exciting to see Pennsylvania’s young minds passionate about community banking and the role these institutions play in the financial ecosystem,” said Acting Secretary Hammer. “Community banks contribute to our local economies in many ways from funding Little League teams to employing residents to giving small businesses their first line of credit. Their connection to our communities is invaluable. It is imperative for us – regulators, government officials, and community leaders – to continue to encourage young people to get involved in this space to keep moving these vital financial institutions forward.”
Now in its ninth year, the Case Study Competition offers undergraduate students from all fields of study the opportunity to partner with local community banks to gain first-hand knowledge of the banking industry.
This year, teams are tasked with examining how community banks are positioning themselves for success and sustainability as they face a competitive job market, succession challenges and changing consumer needs. Each student team will learn how its bank is recruiting and retaining talent, approaching success planning, and using technology to advance its operations.
Each student member and faculty advisor of the first-place winning team will receive a $1,000 scholarship and present their findings at the Community Bank Research Conference and their work will be published in the annual CSBS Journal of Community Bank Case Studies. Teams that place second and third will also receive scholarships and have their works published in the journal.
There will be three rounds of judging and results from the first two rounds will be announced on May 31 and June 7. The top three teams will be announced at the State Federal Supervisory Forum in Philadelphia on July 12.