UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. –– Four Penn State Smeal College of Business students collaborated to earn a place among the four finalist teams at the NASBITE International 2026 Student Case Competition in early April in St. Louis.
Austin Tatusko, a fourth-year finance major who is minoring in international business; Austin Townsend-Hernon, a fourth-year corporate innovation and entrepreneurship major with minors in Spanish and international business; Rhea Khettry, a third-year student dual-majoring in accounting and finance; and Diya Patel, a fourth-year management major who is minoring in international business, devised one of the leading strategies in the competition.
The other three finalist teams represented Iowa, Ohio State and Missouri.
Each year the three-day competition asks teams of undergraduates from international business programs to identify the best international market and market entry strategy to meet a challenge presented by a United States exporter. The case is developed with the sponsoring company and allows students to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to obtain the Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) credential.
This year, the company was Missouri-based Switchgrass Spirits, a whiskey business looking to expand into international markets.
The Smeal team, advised by Cassandra Ghinos, former assistant teaching professor of international business, presented a strategy to address Switchgrass Spirits’ international challenges. This included identifying new markets in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Singapore and Taiwan, and sourcing methods to address their need for high-quality yet cost-effective manufacturing.
“The NASBITE Case Competition challenged our team to analyze a real-world international business scenario and develop strategic, data-driven recommendations under time pressure,” Patel said.
“It strengthened my ability to think critically, collaborate effectively and communicate solutions clearly to judges. Overall, it was a valuable experience in applying classroom concepts to practical global business challenges.”
Khettry said she was impressed by the innovative experience of the case.
“One of the best parts of the competition was getting real-world experience,” she said. “By consulting for a real company, I was able to apply what I had learned in the classroom in the business world, and that was incredibly rewarding.”
Townsend-Hernon said the lessons he has learned in his Smeal courses were invaluable in helping to develop his team’s solution to the case.
“Participating in the NASBITE Case Competition was an excellent way to tie together all of what I've learned here at the Smeal College of Business. I leaned on information from all of my classes to create a high-level consulting deliverable for Switchgrass Spirits,” he said. “Together with my team, we also had the chance to network at a professional conference and make genuine connections with IB students from other universities while competing in the competition.”
Ghinos said she was impressed by the students’ work ethic.
“What a privilege to work with and coach this group of dedicated, hardworking and very globally-minded students,” she said. “An incredible learning opportunity for all of us.”
Other faculty who advised the team since late January were Terrence Guay, director of Smeal’s Center for Global Business, associate dean for international programs and a clinical professor of international business, Andy Gustafson, associate clinical professor of accounting who serves as director of Smeal’s MBA communications program, and Peter Mhando, teaching professor of international business and international affairs.
“This is the third year we’ve competed in the NASBITE competition, and the third year that our teams have made the final portion,” Guay said. “It’s a great reflection on Smeal’s commitment to international business, hard-working and motivated students and a committed faculty who support the initiative.”