Hull College hosts first-ever Hull Cup Invitational

The James M. Hull College of Business recently hosted its first-ever Hull Cup Invitational, with over 150 Columbia County students and representatives visiting Augusta University for the day.

The Hull Cup, which combined both a conference and case competition, was created to give high school students an inside look at the world of business and provide a hands-on experience outside the classroom.

High school students walk on a college campus during a competition and campus visit.

The competition featured 28 teams looking to solve real-world case studies in marketing, entrepreneurship and personal finance. Each team of two was given 10 minutes to read and prepare their case and then 10 minutes to present their solutions. They were challenged to think and develop creative strategies, helping them see the fast-paced problem-solving that is required in the business field.

“The Hull Cup came about from meeting with several Columbia County business educators on how we can engage more of their business students,” said Mark Thompson, PhD, professor in Hull College. “The idea was to have a business-style conference with competitive case events.”

Overall, Evans High School won the competition, while Grovetown High School won two of the three case competitions with Greenbrier High School winning the other case competition.

A large group of high school students celebrate winning a competition held at a local college. — Members of the Evans High School team celebrate winning the Hull College Cup.

The conference portion of the event gave students a deeper look into business education and university life at Augusta University. The sessions included a business class, a mock business case and “Hull College 101,” where students learned about the many opportunities the Hull College of Business offers. Students also had the chance to participate in an “AU Experience” tabling session, where they met various departments across campus to get a feel for life at Augusta University.

Throughout the day, students were given the opportunity to earn points by answering questions related to the conference sessions. This encouraged active engagement and friendly competition. Teams were also awarded points if they placed in the top five for each case study category.

“The Hull Cup was an exciting and enriching experience to not only learn about AU and the Hull College of Business but also how to better network with others in our community,” said a Grovetown High School student.

A group of high school students pose for a picture on the outside steps of a building on a university campus.

A male college professor takes questions from high school students during a special presentation.

The event concluded with lunch and an awards ceremony where the overall winner for each case study was announced, as well as the winner of the Hull Cup Invitational, Evans High School.

The event’s success was made possible due to the support of Hull College faculty and staff, the Women’s Leadership organization, units across campus and many Hull College students who volunteered their time to help participate.

“It was great seeing the high school students get excited for their peers and their high schools, some even specifically mentioned how Augusta University is now being considered,” Thompson said.