Rosemont College is proud to celebrate the outstanding participation of five students in the Community Bank Case Study Competition 2026. This prestigious national event, organized by the CSBS, gave undergraduate students across all majors a unique opportunity to gain first hand knowledge of the community banking industry by partnering directly with local banks.
The Rosemont team: Brandon Barreiro, Dallas Wilder-Hamilton, Micah Volpe, Nicolas Sodmont, and Olivia Jimenez represented the College with professionalism and dedication. Coached by Dr. Christine Hagedorn and Professor Ken Romanowski, the students dove deep into real world banking challenges and delivered strong work that earned positive feedback from industry professionals.
What the Competition Focused On
For the 2026 Community Bank Case Study Competition, student teams examined how community banks have adapted to changing economic conditions since 2020. Key topics included:
- Managing interest rate risk
- Making lending decisions in a challenging environment
- Responding to inflation pressures
- Maintaining adequate capital through strategic approaches
Teams worked closely with partner banks to conduct original case studies on these timely issues.
Rosemontās Experience in Philadelphiaās Chinatown
This marks the the seventh consecutive year Rosemont has partnered with Asian Bank in Philadelphiaās Chinatown for this annual competition. The single round of competition experience proved incredibly valuable. Students gained practical insight into daily banking operations, built professional relationships, and applied classroom knowledge to real economic challenges.
Working directly with bank officials gave students a deeper understanding of the vital role community banks play in local economies.
Words of Pride from Mentors & Partners
Dr. Christine Hagedorn shared her excitement about the broader visibility Rosemont is receiving:
āIt just occurred to me that our little college is getting a lot of national press as we are listed alongside many other participating universities from across the country.ā
James Wang, President & Chief Executive Officer at Asian Bank, praised the studentsā work:
āIt was our pleasure to work with Brandon, Dallas, Micah, Nick, and Olivia. They displayed incredible dedication, insight, and engagement throughout the entire process. While it is unfortunate the team did not advance, scoring highly and receiving positive feedback from the judges is a testament to their hard work and the excellent mentorship from you and Professor Romanowski. Asian Bank is proud to be part of the team. Thank you for the partnership opportunity.ā
Why This Experience Matters for Rosemont Students
Participation in the Community Bank Case Study Competition 2026 offered far more than a rƩsumƩ line. Students developed critical skills in research, analysis, teamwork, and professional communication while building meaningful connections in the banking industry.
Congratulations to Brandon, Dallas, Micah, Nick, and Olivia on their hard work and impressive representation of Rosemont College. A special thank you to Dr. Hagedorn and Professor Romanowski for their dedicated coaching. We also thank Asian Bank for the wonderful partnership opportunity. Rosemont looks forward to even more banking experience success stories in the years ahead!
