A team of finance students from Willamette University’s Atkinson Graduate School of Management recently stepped out of the classroom and into the high-stakes world of investment management. Participating in the CFA Institute Research Challenge, a global event involving over 5,000 students from more than 1,000 universities, the Willamette MBA team showcased their high-level analytical skills and represented the university at the local competition, hosted by the CFA Society Portland.
This rigorous competition provided a powerful experiential learning opportunity, directly aligning with Willamette’s mission to prepare students to connect classroom learning with real-world applications. For the past several months, the team — comprising Basta Salih MBA’26, Israel Anjorin MBA’27, Joe Cifuentes MBA’27, Marianne Kabalambi MBA’27, and Nathan Haas MBA’26 — acted as professional equity analysts. They conducted an intensive, deep dive into Nike, Inc., applying hands-on financial modeling and valuation techniques to one of the region’s most prominent companies.
The student group was led by Associate Professor of Finance, Yuqi Gu. “This competition is a great example of our students’ high-level analytical work and career readiness,” Gu said, “It is probably the most rigorous test of ‘career readiness’ our finance students can go through.”
Beyond producing a highly detailed technical report, the team was required to defend their investment recommendation in a high-pressure presentation before a panel of senior investment professionals and CFA charterholders. This experience demands the flexible thinking, interdisciplinary knowledge, and professional ethics expected in today’s competitive job market — skills that are at the heart of a Willamette MBA education.
“Analyzing a global leader like Nike taught me that a successful investment thesis requires a perfect balance of rigorous data and strategic storytelling,” Anjorin says.“Willamette’s commitment to these kinds of experiential opportunities is what truly bridges the gap between being a student and becoming a professional.”
Although the team did not finish in the top two, what they demonstrated in the process speaks for itself. Competing at that level – analyzing a real company, building a case, and presenting to working professionals – is precisely what a Willamette MBA is designed for. The real measure of success isn’t where they finished. It’s that they were ready.