SAN MARCOS, Texas — Five undergraduate students majoring in Information Systems & Analytics (ISAN) from Texas State University's McCoy College of Business, along with Computer Science majors from the university, attended the 2025 RBFCU Externship & Shark Tank Experience at Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union's headquarters in San Antonio on October 17, 2025.
The Texas State students were split up into two different teams, with a total of eight teams competing from numerous institutions. The two Texas State teams were both recognized among the top teams in multiple categories:
- Most Innovative “Green Canary”: ISAN majors Amari (AJ) Jones, Joe Najera, Jared Whitten; graduate sustainability student Fahim Ahmed.
- Most Collaborative “RideStar”: ISAN majors Nishreeta Karki, Lyndon Scott; computer science majors Fidel Rocha Laza, Christian Molina.
Kevin Jetton, faculty advisor for Texas State's Information Technology Students of America (ITSA) chapter, also attended the day-long event and served as a Shark Tank Experience judge.
"The event was super insightful and we heard for key operational units and all about them leveraging IT and Generative AI to focus on serving their members in an efficient and effective way and it’s many challenges," Jetton said.
The students were all divided up into teams and charged to brainstorm a solution to a problem they felt would impress the judges with pitch presentations styled after those on the television show Shark Tank.
"The participating teams all embraced the pitch event challenge and quickly bonded as a team and brainstormed a solution to a real problem and a pitch to sell it to the judges," Jetton said. "[It was] pretty amazing what some of the teams came up with quickly and the teamwork and passion they exhibited."
The morning was filled with RBFCU departmental presentations by Accounting, Data Analytics, Risk & Compliance, IT Security, Business Financial Literacy, Business/Office Etiquette and capped off with the RBFCU Internship Opportunities.
Attendees included students, faculty, and career center staff members from Texas State University, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, the University of Texas at San Antonio, St. Mary’s University, Alamo College Northeast Lakeview, and Alamo College Northwest Vista. ✯
For more information about this story or other news, email Twister Marquiss, director of marketing and communications for the McCoy College of Business, at twister@txstate.edu.
About the McCoy College of Business
Established in 1970, Texas State’s business school officially became the McCoy College of Business in 2004 following a transformational gift of $20 million by Emmett and Miriam McCoy. The college, which offers classes in San Marcos, Round Rock, and online, is accredited by AACSB in both business and accounting, and has graduated more than 46,000 alumni.
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