Students from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s College of Business and Economics (CoBE) delivered one of the strongest performances in the nation at the 2026 Pi Sigma Epsilon (PSE) National Convention. The UW–Whitewater chapter earned more finalist placements than any other chapter and was named a Top 5 chapter nationally as a finalist for the prestigious Lewis F. Gordon Top Gold Chapter award.

By the numbers:

  • Most National Award Program finalists of any chapter at the convention
  • 15 of 34 national semifinalists in the Pro-Am Sell-A-Thon
  • Multiple first-place finishes across national competitions and awards

Pi Sigma Epsilon is a national professional fraternity focused on developing skills in sales, marketing, and management through hands-on learning experiences. The annual national convention brings together around 500 of the top students from chapters across the country to compete in events ranging from sales competitions and marketing simulations to professional development and leadership challenges.

Past Chapter President, Noah Verhasselt, remarked, “I could not be prouder of our chapter’s success at this year’s PSE National Convention. From the countless hours our sales team spent training to the late nights our executive board put into awards applications, our chapter truly put in the work. Our success this semester is a true testament to our belief that when you prepare like a Beta Gamma, the sky’s the limit.”

Competition Success

UW-Whitewater students excelled across a range of competitive events. In the Speakers Competition, Bailey Quinn (Senior, Marketing BBA) earned first place, followed by Noah Verhasselt (Senior, Marketing BBA) in second place, with Brett Demoss (Junior, General Business BBA) also being recognized as a finalist. The National Speakers Competition, presented by Enterprise Mobility, begins with a preliminary round. In this stage, students submit a video presentation based on a prompt. The highest-scoring participants advance to the final round at the National Convention where they give their speech live to all 500+ convention attendees. Three of the five finalists were students from UW-Whitewater. 

The Pro-Am Sell-A-Thon is the premier national sales competition for PSE members, designed to test students’ professional selling abilities in realistic business scenarios. Participants engage in a series of sales calls and role-play exercises, demonstrating their communication, relationship-building, and problem-solving skills before industry professionals. At this year’s national competition, which featured 183 participants from chapters across the country, Jonah Panning (BBA Finance, 2025) earned an impressive third-place finish. Additional top 10 honors were awarded to Brett Demoss, PJ Mullen, Bailey Quinn, and Noah Verhasselt.

UW-Whitewater also had an exceptional showing among the semifinalists of the Pro-Am Sell-A-Thon. Kyle Bowman (Junior, Business Undecided), Alyssa Eggert (Freshman, Management BBA), Lily Fager (Senior, Human Resource Management BBA), Cooper Hendrickson (Junior, Marketing BBA), Ava Hennig (Senior, International Business BBA and Spanish BA), Abby Keeny (Senior, Human Resource Management BBA), Keegan Lerret (Senior, Marketing BBA and Management BBA), Devin Shircel (Sophomore, Finance BBA), Tori Slama (Senior, Marketing BBA), and Emily Wiitanen (Junior, Marketing BBA) all advanced to the semifinal round. The UW-Whitewater PSE chapter had more semifinalists than any other chapter, accounting for 15 of the 34 semifinalists nationwide.

The Year-Long Pro-Am Sell-A-Thon competition, which combines students’ scores from the Fall and National competitions, is another area where the UW-Whitewater chapter excelled with Bailey Quinn placing first, Noah Verhasselt in second, and Jonah Panning finishing fifth. Kyle Bowman, Alyssa Eggert, and Devin Shircel also placed within the top 10. Additionally, Verhasselt earned first place in the Video Call competition, and UW–Whitewater tied for the Top Sales Team award.

Scholarships and Awards

Beyond competitions, UW–Whitewater PSE members earned more scholarships than any other chapter, reflecting both academic excellence and professional achievement. Students received a wide range of national scholarships, including:

  • Future Leaders Scholarship: Kilynn Axelson (Sophomore, Business Undecided) and Alyssa Eggert
  • Corporate Scholarships:
    • Federated Insurance: Alexander Ferguson (Senior, Computer Science BS)
    • Enterprise Mobility: Lily Fager
    • Southwestern Advantage: Emily Wiitanen
    • Vector Marketing: Bailey Quinn
    • Comparion Insurance: Tori Slama
  • Legacy Scholarships:
    • G.M. Naidu: Tori Slama
    • Mu Kappa Tau: PJ Mullen
    • Debbie Khalil Memorial Scholarship: Alexander Ferguson
    • Marvin D. Loos Memorial Scholarship: Noah Verhasselt
    • Whan Memorial Scholarship: Lily Fager


In the National Awards Program, UW–Whitewater students continued their success with multiple first-place finishes, including:

  • 1st Place Top Professional Development Chapter
  • 1st Place Top Sales/Marketing Project (For Profit)
  • 1st Place Top Project Manager
  • 1st Place Top Management Team
  • Top Faculty Advisor, awarded to Robert Boostrom
  • 2nd Place Top Recruitment Program
  • 2nd Place Music2Go Marketing Simulation

Noah Verhasselt received the Whan Challenger award, which is the highest honor awarded to a PSE student. The award recognizes multiple years of leadership, contribution, and impact within his organization. Bailey Quinn was named top PSE salesperson, an award that honors excellence in sales competitions, applied projects, and leadership in developing other salespeople.

“I am extremely proud of our PSE members,” said faculty advisor Robert Boostrom. “Through a team effort, our chapter outperformed all other chapters on multiple measures,” he continued. These achievements highlight UW–Whitewater’s strong emphasis on experiential learning and student leadership within the College of Business and Economics. Through organizations like PSE, students gain real-world experience in sales, marketing, and management while building the skills and connections necessary for long-term career success.

Congratulations to the UW-Whitewater PSE chapter on their successes at the 2026 National Convention.About UW-Whitewater PSE
UW-Whitewater’s Pi Sigma Epsilon (PSE) chapter is a co-ed professional fraternity dedicated to marketing, sales, and management. Guided by the motto “Runs like a business, feels like a family,” PSE provides members with high-impact professional development, experiential learning opportunities, and an active community focused on building lifelong relationships. Learn more about the PSE National Convention by visiting the National Convention website.

About UW-Whitewater College of Business and Economics
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Business and Economics (CoBE) is Wisconsin’s largest business college. It is home to the #1 ranked online, single school Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program in the State and is the only college in Wisconsin that offers an AACSB-accredited Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) degree program. CoBE is in the top 1% of the world’s business schools having earned both AACSB and AACSB Accounting Accreditation. For more information on the College of Business and Economics, visit the college’s website or email cobe@uww.edu.

Photos

Above: Members of the UW–Whitewater Pi Sigma Epsilon chapter gather at the 2026 National Convention, where the chapter earned more finalist placements than any other in the nation and was named a Top 5 chapter overall.

Above: UW–Whitewater students earned top honors in the 2026 Pi Sigma Epsilon National Speakers Competition, with Bailey Quinn (right) placing first and Noah Verhasselt (left) placing second.

Above: UW–Whitewater students dominated the Year-Long Pro-Am Sell-A-Thon, with Bailey Quinn (center) earning first place, Noah Verhasselt (right) placing second and Jonah Panning (left) took fifth place. The competition recognizes consistent performance across both fall and national events. 

Above: The UW–Whitewater Pi Sigma Epsilon executive board led the chapter to a Top 5 national finish and multiple awards, including recognition as the Top Management Team at the 2026 National Convention.