N.C. A&T Students Place Third in $25M ‘Market Madness: HBCU Possibilities’ Program

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (June 1, 2021) – Four first-year North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University students in the Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics have earned a third-place finish in the inaugural Goldman Sachs “Market Madness: HBCU Possibilities” Program case study competition.

Laia Garland, who is studying management, Ellington King, who is studying financing, Quincy Sandaire and Lillian Simone Tapp, who are studying economics, secured a $750,000 grant for North Carolina A&T and each received a $10,000 scholarship for their efforts.

“Laia, Ellington, Quincy and Simone did a great job representing the Deese College and N.C. A&T State University. Accomplishing this in the middle of a pandemic says much about their ability to perform at the highest levels under incredibly demanding conditions,” said Scott Simkins, Ph.D., chair of the Deese College Department of Economics. “We are so proud of what these students have accomplished and look forward to seeing all that they will do over the next three years at A&T.”

N.C. A&T – the only participating HBCU in North Carolina – joined Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Howard University, Morehouse College, Morgan State University, Prairie View A&M University and Spelman College as inaugural cohort members of Goldman Sachs’ five-year, $25 million program.

For four months, 125 first- and second-year students from the seven HBCUs received hands-on training and learn fundamental finance skills in a professional setting, complementing their coursework and extracurricular activities. More than 600 students applied to participate in the program.

“I applied because I was so excited that I finally found a program looking specifically for underclassmen and because of the prestige surrounding the name Goldman Sachs,” said Tapp. “It was an honor and absolute privilege to represent my university, and being able to tap into the Goldman Sachs’ community was a great way to expand my professional network.”

The program concluded with the “Market Madness” case study competition, featuring Procter & Gamble this year, in which students made virtual presentations to senior leaders at Goldman Sachs and compete for prize donations to their institutions – funding opportunity for future generations.

“We are so proud of these students’ ambition, tenacity, and desire to learn and grow,” said Kevin James, Ph.D., Deese College dean. “Engaging in many hours of training and placing third in the competition on top of a rigorous academic program, adjusting to the first year of college and adapting to a pandemic says a lot about their character and their determination to achieve great things.”

This case study competition builds on the Goldman Sachs Fund for Racial Equity, which the firm announced in June 2020 to support the work of leading organizations addressing racial injustice, structural inequity and economic disparity. A critical component of Goldman Sachs diversity strategy is its aspirational goal to double campus analyst hiring from HBCUs at the firm by 2025, as announced last year.

UNCF, a partner through the fund, advised in overall design of the Market Madness: HBCU Possibilities program.