EWING, NJ… In a first for TCNJ, finance majors in the School of Business apprenticed as financial analysts in a top-level competition with over 20 area schools. Working with Professor Susan Hume as their coach, the team developed and presented a financial buy recommendation on $ 1 billion technology firm Micros to high-profile Wall Street experts. The Research Challenge gave the team apprentice-style learning experience in analyst research, report writing, and ethics. As analysts-in-training, the five students received intensive training during the fall, winter and spring sessions, connected with a professional research analyst mentor, analyzed a public company using the techniques and tools of financial analysis and valuation, and traveled to New York to present and defend their recommendations to a panel of experts. Each student found the competition a dynamic, important learning experience.