For the third time in four years, Niagara College students have proven they have the right talent for the top.
On March 21, a small team of students from NC’s School of Business and Management secured a first-place finish at the 2026 Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA) Student Case Competition. The team of five third-year Honours Bachelor of Business Administration (Human Resources) students – including Kayla Knowles, Pablo Rodriguez, Shubham Shubham, Tanmay Tondwal, and Charu Vashisht – edged out more than 20 teams from across Ontario. Their victory followed previous gold-medal performances from NC HR students in 2023 and 2025.
“Seeing our students this competition for a third consecutive year speaks to the power of experiential learning and reflects the consistency and quality of our programs in the School of Business and Management,” said Dean of Business and Environment Evan DiValentino. “Our students are not just learning HR theory, they’re applying it, pressure-testing it, and delivering solutions that stand up against the best in the province.”
Hosted annually, the two-round virtual competition brings together Ontario’s top HR students to solve real-life business and HR challenges. NC students began preparing for this year’s competition in January under the mentorship of Dr. Susan Ehlert, HR Professor and Program Coordinator. As the team coach who has been preparing students for this competition over the past four years, Ehlert trained students in rigorous case analysis and collaborative strategy.
The competition required teams to analyze complex business cases under strict time constraints. After a preliminary round on March 13, NC was selected as a finalist to present before a panel of industry judges and advanced to compete in the final round on March 21.
“This competition helps students develop critical business skills, like quick thinking, decision making, problem solving, and strategic analysis, and helps improve their communication, presentation, and teamwork skills,” said Ehlert. “It is also helpful to students to understand how their skills and education measure up to other educational institutions across Ontario.”
Rodriguez, who lives in the Niagara region, said the win was a true testament to the team’s synergy.
“Winning first place at this year’s HRPA Student Competition has been a very meaningful experience to me both personally and professionally. It allowed me to push myself and strengthen my personal and professional confidence,” said Rodriguez. “I can’t fully express the gratitude I feel to be surrounded by such driven, talented, and passionate group members who inspire me to raise the bar.”
For teammate Vashisht (Niagara-on-the-Lake), the high-stakes environment was a unique opportunity to circle back to core interpersonal skills.
“The competition definitely helped me develop and test my skills especially problem-solving, communication and teamwork, which is something everyone needs no matter what field they are in,” said Vashisht. “I was confident of the collaborative efforts of Professor Susan and our team, and all of the preparation that went into it.
Knowles, who is originally from the Bahamas, found the experience meaningful and valuable.
“Winning first place is incredibly meaningful to me. Personally, it gave me a lot of confidence in my abilities and showed me that I’m capable of performing well under pressure,” she said. “Professionally, it confirmed that I truly do want a career in HR and showed me how rewarding it can be to accomplish goals, both personally and within an organization.”
Shubham (St. Catharines), who came to NC from India to pursue a passion for meeting new people and making a difference, noted that the win carried significant personal weight.
“I feel very proud and joyful after discovering that we won the HRPA competition; it was truly an amazing feeling,” said Shubham. “It has had a big impact on my personal life, as it was an opportunity to represent my college and make them proud.”
“Honestly, I felt exhilarated,” said Tondwal (Niagara Falls), who is also from India and followed his passion for business to NC. “It was an amazing experience professionally. I learned a lot.”
In addition to winning a certificate with recognition from the HRPA, the regulating Human Resources body in Ontario, each member of the team will also receive a $200 gift card.
This year’s competition featured Ontario postsecondary teams from universities including Algoma, Brock (Goodman School of Business), Guelph-Humber, Lakehead, Ontario Tech, Toronto Metropolitan, University of Toronto, U of T Scarborough, Windsor, and York; and colleges: Algonquin, Durham, George Brown, Georgian, Humber, Niagara, Sheridan, St. Clair, and St. Lawrence. More information about the competition is available on the HRPA website.
Niagara College’s School of Business and Management offers diploma, bachelor’s degree and graduate certificate programs, based at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
