EWING, NJ … Paul Nichilo, a senior business major, took the top prize at the regional role-playing conference at the Pro-Am-Sellathon, an annual event organized by Pi Sigma Epsilon, a national professional organization for sales, marketing, and management.
The competition was held on Nov. 20 at William Patterson University and featured 50 competitors from 11 northeastern schools. Joining Nichilo in the top six spots were senior business marketing major Sarah Gotthold of Atco, junior marketing major Kelly Loughlin of Paramus, and sophomore marketing major Jenny Green of Manalapan.
“We celebrate our students’ efforts to combine theory and practice,” Dr. William Keep, dean of the School of Business, said. “Role playing at the Pro-Am-Sellathon requires a student to think fast and communicate effectively — two skills that never go out of style in business. To have a TCNJ student take the top spot for the second consecutive year, with another three among the six finalists, speaks to the motivation and hard work of our students and the faculty who work with them.”
Nichilo, of Old Bridge, is president of TCNJ’s Pi Sigma Epsilon chapter. He competed against students from Northwestern University, Cornell University, Pennsylvania State University, and other major regional universities. He was pitching a knife set to a company taking its business to a new venture in television sales, in a competition that consisted of two parts – leaving a voicemail for the buyer in order to set up the appointment and the meeting itself.
“It is amazing to be rewarded for success and hard-work within the competition, but the greatest reward for me has been overseeing an organization that is always striving to be the best,” he said. “We have built a name and reputation for ourselves not only on campus, but across the entire country, and it is great to see that schools three times the size of The College of New Jersey worry when they see us at these competitions.”
Jillian Daidone, a senior marketing major from Cranbury, won the competition last year.