Idaho Central Credit Union Establishes Endowment to Support Student Participation in Real-World Business Simulation Competition

Idaho Central Credit Union (ICCU) continues their support of the Idaho State University College of Business with the establishment of the ICCU International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition (ICBSC) Endowment. While ICCU has historically supported the College’s ICBSC team both financially and with coaching, this endowment ensures students will be able to continue participating in the competition in perpetuity.

“ICCU has been partnering with Idaho State University [College of Business] on the ICBSC for many years. Every year, senior leaders from ICCU look forward to meeting with students, hearing their proposals, and providing feedback to them,” said Brenda Worrell, ICCU President and CEO. “We are always impressed by the caliber of students we interact with and the education they are getting at Idaho State University. This [endowment] provides the funding for the program to continue developing and supporting Idaho State University students for many years to come!”

The ICBSC is a rigorous competition challenging top-level students from around the world to complete 12 quarters (three years) of simulated business decisions expedited over the course of a semester. Each team also submits a formal business plan and annual report. Students then travel to Anaheim for an intense 72-hour competition against their international peers, followed by a formal presentation to executive-level judges from companies throughout the western United States. Idaho State is the only university in the states of Idaho, Utah, Montana and Wyoming to participate in the ICBSC and has consistently placed within first or second place.

"We are so grateful for ICCU's generosity in supporting our participation in the ICBSC. The success of students from the College of Business in this competition over the years demonstrates that the top students from our University can compete with anyone in the world,” said ICBSC Advisor and ICCU Endowed Professor of Management Alex Bolinger. “Our students could not have had that success, however, without ICCU's commitment to providing resources and valuable mentorship in support of our students. Thanks to this extraordinary gift from ICCU, our students will now have this game-changing educational opportunity well into the future."