Fast Pitch Winner Crowned

On Wednesday, April 7 the Business Communication faculty, along with Northwestern Mutual, hosted the Fifth Annual Fast Pitch Competition. The top honors were taken by Economics sophomore, Hannah Heacock(pictured above), followed by senior Natalie Middleton and freshman Katy McGivern.

While in previous years this competition has taken place in the Horn Auditorium to accommodate a large crowd, this year’s competition was virtual. Despite the modality, the 2021 program drew a large audience – more than 40 students and faculty. Ten finalists were nominated to compete by BizComm faculty members, who are familiar with the students’ skills from BUS 301 coursework. The students presented a fast pitch of 2-3 minutes on how companies can ready themselves to support Generation Z workers. Students were then judged on their content, use of persuasion, and presentation skills by four judges; three of the judges were Northwestern Mutual staff, along with previous Fast Pitch Competition winner and current COB student Paige Workman.

Northwestern Mutual has been sponsoring this Fast Pitch Competition since its inception. According to Northwestern Mutual Managing Director Michael Bush, it’s a favorite day of the year and they are “always excited to partner with you and the College of Business.”

Each of the top three winners will receive a personalized Louisville Slugger Bat, and the top 10 finalists will be invited to a networking dinner with the staff of Northwestern Mutual.

Congratulations again to Hannah Heacock and all of the winners and finalists. Thank you to Northwestern Mutual for its sponsorship of this exciting event.

For more information on the event, please contact Assistant Professor of Practice, Abby Koenig, PhD.