A team of accountancy students—Tyler Shobert, Elise Patti, Celia Espe, Amelia Hopkins, and Anastasija Mladenovska—placed among the top two teams in the regional round of the Deloitte FanTAXtic Competition, earning a spot in the national competition at Deloitte University in Westlake, Texas, on January 23–25, 2026.
Each year, Deloitte invites a team from colleges in which it actively recruits to participate in the tax case competition. Faculty advisor William Brink and campus recruiter McKenzi Gerry assisted with team formation and guided the students through the initial preparations. Once the team received the case materials on October 7, students worked primarily on their own and were paired with a Deloitte Advisor, Derek Jones, who served as a liaison throughout the process. His role was to provide general presentation advice—without offering specific guidance on the case solution.
According to Mladenovska, the case centered on a fictional startup called JB Bubble Tea Emporium. The team acted as consultants advising the founders on matters such as the business structure that would support their long-term goals, and decisions on buying vs. leasing a storefront. “The scenario was designed to mirror the kinds of real-world conversations new business owners have with advisors.”
To solve the case, team members took on tasks based on each individual’s strengths. “Some focused on analyzing the numbers and long-term projections, while others shaped the written recommendations and overall presentation. Our main goal was to translate all of the information we were given into clear, practical guidance that would help the owners imagine what the next five years of their business might look like.”
The team spent about three weeks refining their work, whittling a 40 minute-draft into the 10 minutes required for the presentation. Each member was required to speak, and the team worked hard to ensure their delivery felt natural—even as it was presented via Zoom to a panel of Deloitte judges. “By the end, presenting together felt seamless, everyone knew their part and how it fit into the bigger picture.”
Congratulations to the team, and we’re looking forward to cheering you on in January!