Through the new challenge, The Bill Gatton Foundation will provide a dollar-for-dollar match on qualifying gifts, up to $15.7 million. This generous opportunity is designed to encourage participation and broaden support for the college by increasing the value of each new contribution.
Please describe your journey to Gatton. Where did you begin, and what transpired along the way?
Tell us about your hometown, your major, and how you came to be a student at Gatton College.
Gatton Alumni: Yajaira Aich West, MBA ’11
The competition challenges students to evaluate publicly traded companies and deliver a structured pitch, simulating the type of analysis and communication required in investment and finance roles.
This year’s honorees include Allan J. Zachariah and Michael S. McMahon, who were inducted into the Gatton Alumni Hall of Fame, and Keith A. Carlson, who was named the college’s 2026 Distinguished Young Alumnus.
“This year, we had 29 universities participate, with over 240 students competing,” said Darshak Patel, director of undergraduate studies and assistant professor of economics at the Gatton College of Business and Economics who co-founded and now helps lead the competition. “The geographic and institutional diversity continues to grow, which is a strong indicator of the competition’s national reach.”
The Marketing Sales Competition has grown steadily in both scale and significance, evolving from a small, course-connected exercise into a central part of the college’s approach to experiential learning and employer engagement.
This year’s Dean’s Award for Excellence winners, chosen by a selection committee comprised of faculty, staff and the dean of the college, are Jenna Utterback and Teague Howell. The Dean’s Award for Excellence is the college’s highest undergraduate honor, recognizing students who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement, leadership, service and impact during their time at Gatton.
