UH West O‘ahu student team wins national finance competition for second consecutive year

UH West Oʻahu award-winning students with Faculty Advisor and Associate Professor of Accounting Dr. Franklin T. Kudo and Chancellor Rockne Freitas. From left to right: Franklin T. Kudo, Valerie Torikawa-Domingo, Rockne Freitas, Jennie Ann Christman, and Brittiney Santiago.

UH West Oʻahu award-winning students with Faculty Advisor and Associate Professor of Accounting Dr. Franklin T. Kudo and Chancellor Rockne Freitas. From left to right: Franklin T. Kudo, Valerie Torikawa-Domingo, Rockne Freitas, Jennie Ann Christman, and Brittiney Santiago.

For the second year in a row, University of Hawai‘i – West O‘ahu Business Administration students won the prestigious national Association of Government Accountants’ (AGA) Finance Case Challenge competition. UH West O‘ahu Accounting students Valerie Torikawa-Domingo, Brittiney Santiago, and Jennie Ann Christman took home the national prize this January, competing against undergraduate students from across the United States.

Torikawa-Domingo, Santiago, and Christman completed a written facilitative analysis of a municipality, and produced an oral presentation video of their findings. The team analyzed the City of Hillsborough, North Carolina and reported on the town’s ability to attract companies, individual residents, and the investment community. Their analysis revealed a strong local economy, high quality of life indices, and healthy town finances.

“These are some of my best accounting students and I am very proud of them,” said Faculty Advisor and Associate Professor of Accounting Dr. Franklin T. Kudo. “Valerie Torikawa-Domingo, Brittiney Santiago, and Jennie Ann Christman are individuals whose hard work ethic, perseverance and learning orientation will certainly contribute to their future success in business and life.”

UH West Oʻahu student team members Shena Bocalbos, Ryoko Lung, and Mamina Tahara won the AGA Finance Case Challenge competition in 2013-2014 for their analysis of the City of Garland, Texas.

Image courtesy of Mellissa Lochman