Valdosta State University’s Cara Robinson recently placed fourth at the the 2017 Capsim Fall Challenge, an online business simulation competition featuring contestants from 104 universities in 14 countries. 

In the finals, Robinson and five other students competed for eight hours to see who could run the most successful simulated corporation in a high-pressure, zero sum environment.

“It was astounding to make it into the finals, especially with the number of competitors,” said Robinson, an accounting and finance major from Lakeland, Georgia, who expects to graduate in December.

“To place fourth in the finals round was pretty amazing. It was a very intense competition. The simulation requires you to make eight years worth of decisions for your company. You make decisions in finance, marketing, human resources, production — every aspect of the business.”

Robinson was first exposed to business simulations in her classes at VSU’s Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration.

“Cara is a shining example of the hardworking, responsible and highly motivated students we have here in the Langdale College of Business Administration,” said Dr. Marko Horn, assistant professor of management. “Her performance in the Capsim Fall Challenge is a testament to the quality of the business education we are delivering to our students and outlines once again that our students can compete with anybody in the world once they graduate from VSU.”

Robinson plans to pursue a Master of Accountancy at VSU and intern at an accounting firm after graduation.

“Finalists like Cara show they can work in a pressured environment, making decisions, analyzing data, and getting results fast,” said Luke Courtright, coordinator of the Capsim Challenge. “She’s got a solid start for a successful career in business.”

The Capsim Challenge takes place twice a year and attracts thousands of competitors worldwide. The host of the competition, Capsim Management Simulations, has established programs for more than 30 years that create learning environments for both academic and corporate participants, giving them the opportunity to practice the skills necessary to build successful companies.