[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Arsenault_Jon.jpg” caption=”Jonathan Arsenault hands out daisies as part of a customer event for Telus. The event was one of several challenges that teams completed during the Impact Apprentice competition in Vancouver last month. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Arsenault.”]Business student Jonathan Arsenault didn't hear the dreaded words, “You're fired,” when he competed in Impact Apprentice 2007, a national business contest for post-secondary students modeled after the popular TV show hosted by Donald Trump.

Instead, Arsenault's team won the competition, which involved completing a variety of business challenges in sales, consulting, advertising and management.

“I feel really proud to be representing McMaster University at such a prestigous event,” said Aresnault, who will be entering his fourth year of the Honours Bachelor of Commerce program at the DeGroote School of Business in September. “It was a great opportunity to take some of my classroom learning and apply it to real world situations.”

He was one of 32 university students chosen from more than 450 applicants to participate in the competition that was held in Vancouver from June 26 to 29.

The students were divided into four teams of eight. Arsenault was on Team Haragei. One of their first tasks was a consulting challenge for Research In Motion's Blackberry Pearl, which Arsenault's team won. They also won a marketing challenge for Travel Cuts.

Arsenault's team placed second in the sales challenge for Nestle Canada and the marketing challenge for Microsoft Canada.

The last challenge required each team to plan an all-day customer event at a different Telus store around the Vancouver area. The teams were each given $200 to plan their events.

Team Haragei's event featured music, games and product demonstrations. They also gave out hundreds of daisies, which are currently featured in Telus ads, and held a contest to give away a free LG Chocolate phone.

“Our team put together a great event, and we ended up increasing the store's average Friday revenue by 353 per cent and increased their store traffic by approximately 900 per cent,” said Arsenault.

The teams were evaluated by a panel of judges and sponsors. The team with the most points won the competition.

Arsenault's team won more than $10,000 in prizes, including Microsoft Office 2007 Ultimate Edition, Microsoft Vista Ultimate, the new Blackberry 8830 phone and gift certificates from Travel Cuts and Harry Rosen.

“The event was amazing and it is the exact opportunity any student should consider if they are looking to extend their learning past the classroom walls and apply them to the real world,” said Arsenault.