McCoy College marketing student wins national Perfect Pitch competition

SAN MARCOS, Texas — Hailey Hesseltine, a junior marketing major at Texas State University’s McCoy College of Business, won first place in the Perfect Pitch Competition at the American Marketing Association (AMA) International Collegiate Conference (ICC) held in Chicago, March 11-15.

Texas State’s AMA student chapter earned Top 25 Chapter Recognition, awarded to student executive board members Ana Valdes (President), Vanya Cardenas (Co-Vice President), and Deondre Brock (Co-Vice President).

Hesseltine placed first among 590 total participants in the Perfect Pitch Competition. One hundred competitors advanced as finalists. McCoy College students Addison Villegas and Diego Vacaflores won 8th and 9th place, respectively, and Daisy Brant was named Honorable Mention. Leonardo Luna and John Roark also placed among the finalists.

In the Marketing Strategy Competition, the student team of Villegas and Roark placed 7th among 110 teams.

“Earning a first-place national finish in Perfect Pitch, alongside multiple top 10 placements, is a significant achievement and a testament to the caliber, preparation, and dedication of our students,” said Stacey Sanders, assistant professor of instruction in marketing and faculty co-advisor of Texas State’s AMA chapter. “These results highlight their ability to think strategically, communicate effectively, and compete at the highest level among leading marketing programs nationwide.”

Sanders continued: “Their performance reflects the strength of our students and the continued momentum of our AMA chapter. These accomplishments continue to elevate the visibility and reputation of Texas State’s marketing program and the McCoy College of Business on a national stage. We are incredibly proud of our students for the way they represented Texas State and are grateful for the continued support that makes opportunities like this possible.”

The Perfect Pitch Competition consists of a 90-second interview in which competitors position themselves as being the right fit for a hypothetical job at a company

"You have to pitch yourself, your experience, what you have to offer the company," Hesseltine said. "This year's sponsoring company was Gartner, which is one of the corporate partners of the Center for Professional Sales."

McCoy College's Center for Professionals Sales is ranked #1 worldwide, having been recognized as Best Sales Program by the University Sales Center Alliance. Hesseltine is one of the program's rising stars.

She said that after a long judging process, the news of her win was an amazing surprise.

“It was really a shocking moment,” Hesseltine said. “They’re calling the top 10, and I hear my colleagues’ names. They got to the final two, and I thought I didn’t place. And then they got to first place, and I hear my name, and I just blacked out at that moment. Everyone was screaming. We got out of our seats. I was just in shock.”

The Marketing Strategy Competition is a duo/team type of competition. Presented with a marketing problem, teams are given only 30 minutes to prepare and then present a seven-minute oral case solution to a panel of judges, followed by a three-minute question-and-answer session. Villegas and Roark stood out among their competitors.

Additionally, Texas State students competed in Marketplace Simulations, Design Lab, Digital Marketing, and Sales Role Play.

“This achievement reflects the many ways faculty and staff across our department support student success every day — from building strong foundations to providing mentorship and creating opportunities to extend learning beyond the classroom,” Sanders said.

Valdes said that AMA has been important to her professional development.

“AMA has really done a lot in terms of making me into a well-rounded professional,” Valdes said. “It has taught me about leadership empathy. The more involved you are the more you get out of it. You will see a return on investment in AMA for sure. I think our team has really shaped into some great people. That was proven this year through our competitors, our directors, and our members. Everyone has such a buy-in. It’s cool to see the results of it.”

Hesseltine offered a similar assessment.

“For me, the AMA as a whole has done wonders, but the Texas State chapter specifically has made a world of difference for me,” Hesseltine said. “It has helped me develop into the person I am now. I’m excited about my career and what the future holds because of what AMA has taught me.”

Sanders and Craig Miller, associate professor of instruction in marketing, serve as co-advisors of Texas State’s AMA chapter, which has more than 100 student members. 

“We extend our sincere gratitude to the marketing faculty for their unwavering support of our chapter this year,” Valdes said. “We would like to recognize our faculty advisors, Craig Miller and Stacey Sanders, for their immense commitment and for generously volunteering their time. Additionally, we thank Dr. Gail Zank for providing invaluable feedback on our Chapter Plan and Annual Report.”

Fourteen students were selected from an application process to attend the ICC this year:

• Ana Valdes
• Deondre Brock
• Addison Villegas
• Ava Hartmann
• Daisy Brant
• Emily Barrera
• Hailey Hesseltine
• John Roark
• Knox Lewis
• Leonardo Luna
• Makenzie Hines
• Rosalyn Conway
• Vanya Cardenas
• Diego Vacaflores