By News and Internal Communications

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – Two UTRGV seniors in the Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship secured seventh place in the National Sales Challenge (NSC), held Nov. 15-17, 2023.

Osiel Fernando Garcia and Sebastian Melendez were selected to represent UTRGV by virtue of winning the UTRGV Vaqueros Sales Competition earlier this fall. Once selected to represent UTRGV, the students prepared for the competition under the tutelage of Jesse Jones, lecturer of Marketing at UTRGV.  

Osiel Fernando Garcia (left) and Sebastian Melendez (right), seniors at the Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship at UTRGV secured seventh place in the National Sales Challenge (NSC). (Courtesy Photo)

The NSC, hosted by the Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales at William Paterson University, is a leading collegiate sales competition and attracts top sales students from around the country. 

The three-day NSC event serves as a platform for aspiring sales professionals to demonstrate their skills and engage with corporate executives from leading companies. It aims to encourage excellence in sales by providing students with opportunities to receive feedback, gain real-world business knowledge, and establish connections with industry leaders. 

Students compete in multiple role-play scenarios with industry executives to determine team and individual rankings.

In addition to the team placement, Garcia also placed seventh in the individual speed selling competition.

Corporate representatives from major companies actively participated in the event, scouting for talent. As part of the competition, both Garcia and Melendez earned an invitation to a private dinner with Kevin Short, CEO of ORS Nasco, which served as lead sponsor for the competition.  

The National Sales Challenge promotes the sales profession and serves as a platform for the convergence of talent, industry expertise and career opportunities.