Cox Sponsors Second Case Competition at Vanderbilt

Article and photos by Jacob Chabowski

Nashville, Tennessee – Team Impact took home first place in a case competition hosted by the Career Center. Those students will now have the chance to visit Atlanta and tour the Cox Enterprises headquarters.?

This was the second case competition Cox sponsored at Vanderbilt University .

Similar to the first competition, teams worked to provide solutions to a real-world problem faced by Cox. The case was sent a day before the competition, giving students only about 24 hours to review the case, propose a solution, and create the slide deck.?

“I think we all thoroughly enjoyed working under pressure, exploring the ins and outs of the problem, and working as a team to communicate our findings with confidence,” said Elias Fording ‘26, one of the winning students from Team Impact.

?The Case?

With indoor cellular usage increasing, the Cox Private Network team has been working to ensure service remains strong. Major carriers, however, have flattened their investments in infrastructure. Students were tasked to develop pitches and rationale for why carriers should use Cox solutions when responding to this issue.?

At the competition, teams were given 13 minutes to present, and then seven minutes to answer questions.?

Karen Chan , an employer relations specialist with the Vanderbilt Career Center and one of the organizers of the case competition, was impressed by the teams.?

“It’s fun, but it’s also challenging,” she said. “You’ve got to make sure you completely understand what’s being asked of you, and then you really have to craft a thoughtful solution.”?

The competition was open to students of all majors across all years. This year saw students from over 10 different majors – from philosophy, to economics, to HOD – compete.?

“We even had a team of all first years,” Chan said. “It’s really great to have an event like this that truly offers an opportunity for everyone.”?

Professional Development Opportunities?

Many employers attend networking events like career fairs and coffee chats. Cox wanted to do something a little different. In addition to sponsoring the case competition, representatives from the company also served as judges. This allowed them to engage with students in a different context, making for more engaging and dynamic interactions.?

Jamelia Smith is the Director of Early Talent for Cox Enterprises. She also served as one of the judges.?

“As someone tasked with identifying exceptional early career talent, I can confidently say that we witnessed an influx of extraordinary individuals,” she said after the event.?

In addition to networking opportunities, there were other professional resources available through the case competition. All students who participated earned points for VandyPASS. These badges recognize the skills students developed in areas like teamwork and critical thinking by participating in the competition.?

A reception was also held in the prestigious West End Tower, offering stunning views of Nashville.?

Fording, one of the winning students, is already excited about next year.?

“From just two days of engagement, I feel like I learned so much. We’re incredibly grateful for the Career Center, Cox, and our competitors - looking forward to the next one!”?

Team Impact (first place)

• Elias Fording
• Sneha Yadav ?
• Austin Mboijana
• Tyler E.

Team Future Cox Employees (second place)

• Aaliyah Scott
• Daniel Ardity
• Annabelle Abbott
• Ankit Janamanchi