Arizona Western College Business Club earns second place statewide

Four Arizona Western College business teams went to Tucson, and one came back with a second-place finish that says more about Yuma’s workforce pipeline than any trophy case ever could.

Arizona Western College said the Business Club traveled to the University of Arizona Eller College of Management on April 10 for the annual Arizona Community College Excellence Case Competition, a one-day event that puts community college students in front of a real business problem from a corporate sponsor. The teams, each made up of four to five students and guided by a faculty mentor, were judged on how well they could work through the case under pressure. One AWC team finished second overall.

The result matters in Yuma County because the competition is built around the same skills local employers prize: problem-solving, teamwork, business judgment, and the ability to present ideas clearly. Eller says the event is designed to strengthen professional networking and business acumen, while giving students hands-on practice with real-world challenges rather than textbook exercises.

Dr. Kristine Duke, the club adviser and Arizona Western professor of accounting, said the competition helps students bridge theory and practice while sharpening communication, presentation, and critical-thinking skills. At AWC, that training is not limited to the classroom. The college says its clubs and organizations are meant to provide recreation, fellowship, and practical training for intelligent leadership and citizenship.

That has direct value for Yuma. Arizona Western’s business degree is built as a transfer program for lower-division business requirements, which means students can move on to university study with a stronger foundation while still starting their education close to home. For students who stay connected to the college, the same skills that win a statewide case competition can also open doors to internships, entry-level management jobs, finance roles, and entrepreneurial paths in the local economy.

The 2026 finish also marked an improvement from 2025, when Arizona Western sent 16 students to the same competition and one four-student team placed third overall. That year’s challenge, sponsored by Enterprise Mobility, asked students to develop a marketing plan to raise awareness of the company’s brands. This year’s stronger showing suggests the program is building momentum, not simply chasing a one-time result.

The Business Club’s performance also fits into Arizona Western’s broader push on entrepreneurship. The college’s Entrepreneurial College work has included more than 15 roundtable sessions with internal and external stakeholders, part of an effort to connect classroom learning with the needs of Yuma County’s economy. For students in accounting, management, finance, and entrepreneurship, the statewide second-place finish is a sign that the next step can start in Yuma and still lead far beyond it.