March 26, 2025
By Kelly Waldron ’26
The University of Susquehanna contributed for the first time in the competition of Ethics of Templeton Affairs at Stetson University, Deland, Florida, with the duo of Balil Abdelnabi ’26 and Clarissa O’Neill ’25, finishing fourth among the teams from across the country.
“We were by far the smallest school there, but I knew there was something special to Balil and Clarissa and they managed the whole competition very well,” said CAUTILLO geneassistant professor guest of management In Susquehanna Sigmund Weis School of Business.
The templeton business ethics competition is an annual competition that allows a pair of students from each university to offer their solution to an ethical case provided in advance. The program aims to promote an ethical conduct of businesses, to develop ethical business leadership, to enrich undergraduate extracurricular education opportunities and to promote the collaboration of teachers in the education of business ethics and corporate social responsibility. This year’s event was sponsored by Nascar.
“I am not a traditional four -year student. I was transferred to Susquehanna last year to finish my baccalaureate. For this reason, I wanted to fully enjoy everything that Susquehanna and the Sigmund Weis School of Business have to offer,” said O’Neill. “Before transferring, I finished my associate diploma while working full time. This experience gave me a unique perspective as a student, and I thought I could apply this perspective to the competition. ”
The case study addressed by Abdelnabi and O’Neill, “dei at Daytona: stay on the right track, accelerate in front or in race”, was particularly appropriate because it asked students to determine the impact of the abolition, maintenance or modification of the programs of diversity, equity and inclusion of the NASCAR organization.
“The two students showed a lot of passion surrounding the subject of I and given their various history, they were able to have and present their unique perspectives, which makes it a really diverse team,” said Cautillo.
Alongside Cautillo, Abdelnabi, a Commercial analytics And finance Double Major de Plainfield, New Jersey and O’Neill, a marketing Major de Selinsgrove, concluded 16 other universities, including Penn State, Ohio State and Florida State.
“As an international student, this gave me the opportunity to know more about American policy and how to affect companies financially and culturally,” said Abdelnabi.
Abdelnabi and O’Neill presented a three -part argument focused on:
- A rebranding effort they called the “breed for unity”
- Take advantage of digital integration
- Identify new first generation programs and talented talent military programs
In addition to the experience of competition, the two students were able to network with mentors and peers and obtain a precious overview of the ethical solutions of other students and judges.
“It is important that all students talk about ethics because when Balil and Clarissa leave, they will have this ethical understanding anchored in their heads and that is what will help make them future business leaders of tomorrow,” said Cautillo.
Following the competition, O’Neill thinks she has learned lessons that will stay with her as she embarks on a professional career.
“Dedication was not just about working hard but to strive to be our best. Bilal and I devoted all our free time to this project, and I am proud to say that we pushed ourselves to do our best,” said O’Neill. “As a team, we have established clear objectives, but with constant developments in the news, we had to adapt. One day, I hope to direct my own team and understand how to collaborate now will prepare me for this responsibility in the future. ”