KENNESAW, Ga. | Dec 11, 2024

Kennesaw State University students earned first and second place this month at the 14th Annual Bill Mulcahy IIA Atlanta Chapter Case Competition, continuing the University's legacy of strong performances at the event.

The first-place team of Payal Patel, Sydni Farmer, and Jared Wilson, and the second-place team of Jessica Chapple, Cy Shultz, and Chriti Filarski, stood out against competitors from Georgia State University, Mercer University, and Dalton State College.

The competition, hosted by the Institute of Internal Auditors Atlanta Chapter, provided students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of internal audit practices through a detailed case study. This year’s topic, political election process in Georgia, challenged participants to identify risks and propose solutions to protect ballots.

KSU’s teams prepared extensively, dedicating up to 20 hours to practicing their presentations, refining their recommendations, and seeking guidance from mentors. Faculty advisors Doug Mims and Brad Schafer, alongside professional mentors Donna Jackson, internal Audit Manager at DeKalb County, and Lavonne Rashad, who works in internal audit at UPS, played a pivotal role in the students’ success.

Schafer, an associate professor of accounting and director of KSU’s Internal Audit Center, said the team’s victory at the competition is a testament to their ability to translate classroom learning into practical application.

“Both our undergraduate and graduate teams demonstrated a strong level of knowledge while considering the risks around a political election process,” Schafer said. “They used their knowledge of internal audit from their class to propose creative controls to manage the identified risks. I am extremely proud of their work ethic and dedication to represent KSU at the highest level.”

Payal Patel, a member of the first-place winning team and a student in the Master of Accounting program, said the competition reinforced her desire to pursue a career in internal audit.

“This case competition gave me lots of experience going through the risks of organizations and creating control suggestions, which will be helpful in my future internal audit career,” Patel said. “My passion for internal controls and identifying risks was evident in preparing for this competition.”

The annual competition also offers significant networking opportunities. Students engage with audit industry leaders and learn from professionals such as Carley Ferguson, chief audit executive at Mohawk Industries and chair of the IIA Atlanta Chapter Academic Relations Committee.

Ferguson highlighted KSU’s history of success at the competition, saying, “Kennesaw State University students have participated in the Institute of Internal Auditors Atlanta Chapter Case Competition every year since I joined as a judge in 2012. Their KSU education prepares them to shine at competition and succeed in today’s workforce.”

The winning teams received $1,500 per person for first place and $750 per person for second place in prize money. However, participation in the competition offers students much more. It provides invaluable benefits, including experiential learning, technical and soft skills development, and the chance to build professional connections with industry leaders. The immersive experience prepares them for internal audit careers.

This year’s victory builds on KSU’s strong track record of success at the IIA competition and demonstrates the high importance that the University’s accounting program places on internal audit education.