Merritt Island High School Students Win Florida Tech’s Business Ethics Competition

– Students from nine high schools were challenged by ethical questions in the Florida Tech College of Business‘ Tenth
Annual High School Business Ethics Competition. In the daylong event, held March 10, juniors and seniors from Brevard County high schools competed by
developing and analyzing solutions to thorny ethical problems.

They focused on Premier, Inc. a leading hospital purchasing organization, which confronted public criticism of its organizational ethics. The CEO and other
top executives found themselves faced with the task of formulating a response to charges raised by the media.

The event was sponsored by Community Educators Credit Union and the Gannett Foundation. Judges for the competition, from a variety of career fields,
included many prominent members of the community.

The Merritt Island team, coached by Blythe Grossman, included students Luke Berry, Ashley Whitehead, Holly Ficker and Mitchell Gaither. The second-place
team, Melbourne Central Catholic High, coached by Karen Neely, included students Alexis Echaverria, Lauren Echaverria, Bailey Dowling and Tiffany Olier.
The third-place team, Satellite High School, was coached by Joe Scott. It included students Patrick Liby, Mario Mistretta, Jessica Stern and Melissa Goude.

The awards were: $500 per member to the first-place team, $250 per member to the second-place team and $125 per member to the third place team. Also, each
member of the top team receives an award of a four-year $8,000-per-year scholarship to the College of Business. A four-year $6,000-per-year scholarship to
the college goes to each member of the second-place team.

Other participating schools were Eau Gallie High School, Astronaut High School, Melbourne High School, Cocoa Beach High School, Bayside High School and
West Shore Junior/Senior School.