Case competition was spark for student’s college experience

July 28, 2026 ― DENTON ― As a commuter student, Eva Selmi worried college might become routinely drab, consisting of simply going to class and driving home. She thought she’d miss out on the college experience. 

Joining student organizations at Texas Woman’s University changed everything.

One person in particular, Romina Vargas Trujillo, president of the student chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), had a lot to do with that change, Selmi said.

“She was very inspiring with how much she juggled on her plate, and I wanted to be essentially like her,” Selmi said. “So I got involved in a lot of organizations as well, and I feel like it made me grow as a person. My communication skills, my empathy skills, professional skills – all of my skills – have just advanced being in these programs.”

Not only did Selmi join organizations, she also held leadership positions. She serves as vice president of the IMA, the Dean's Student Advisory Board and the Accounting and Finance Society. 

Selmi, who is double majoring in accounting and finance, also found time to participate in a case competition with TWU’s IMA student chapter. She was one of three Merrilee Alexander Kick College of Business and Entrepreneurship students that were named finalists in the IMA Student Case Competition. 

The 2026 case required teams to analyze real sales and market data to determine whether a regional fresh food distributor should pursue a new retail partnership.  

“We worked as a team and we all divided and conquered our work and specifically focused on our points,” Selmi said. “And then we went through a bunch of practice runs. We spent long hours doing this, running it through our advisors and learning.”

The team, comprised of Selmi, Vargas Trujillo and Nadia El-Baghdady, spent a large portion of the spring semester working on the data analytics project. Because the TWU chapter was only in its second year, the team didn’t have any expectations for moving on in the competition. 

The team, along with co-advisors Jason Jordan, PhD, and Anh Dang, PhD, were surprised and thrilled when they were named among four finalists out of more than 40 submissions nationwide. As finalists they were given travel and accommodations to present at the IMA Accounting and Finance Conference in Tampa on June 14-17. 

While they didn’t take top honors, attending the conference was a prize in itself.

“It was one of the best experiences I've had,” Selmi said. “I don't think I ever imagined going to Florida for a case competition, let alone going and being in the finals. Honestly, it was surreal.”

Connecting with other students from across the country was a highlight, but the experience also bonded the TWU trio.

“I feel like we got closer because we were, not only were we hanging out all the time, but we were helping each other in our weaknesses,” Selmi said. “We picked each other up.” 

The challenges they faced in the project taught them new skills. Selmi was surprised by how much coding the project required. She leaned on her older teammates for help, and she hopes her new knowledge will give her a head start in her upcoming accounting courses. 

Selmi will serve as TWU’s IMA chapter president for the next two years. She is looking forward to mentoring new members and encouraging peers to jump into future case competitions.

“You don't have to know how to do everything because we're all going to learn it together. So I think it's a growth experience that everybody should take.”