And it gets tougher. Claudia Grave (22) is yet to meet her three other teammates in person before they get to represent New Zealand at the Heavener International Case Competition, hosted by the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida next February.
''It's such an innovative opportunity. We're just going to have to make it work,'' Ms Grave said.
Usually teammates would be from the same university, but Ms Grave has been chosen alongside Connor Smith-Traill, from Auckland University of Technology; Sarah Postlethwaite, Victoria University Wellington; and Daniel Chan, from the University of Canterbury.
''We've been in contact, so we're hoping to get together for a training camp in Wellington before we leave,'' she said yesterday.
The team was still looking for individual sponsorship towards the total $16,000 costs, but attending was so far self-funded, she said.
Dunedin-born Ms Grave, who attended St Hilda's Collegiate School and was an ODT Class Act recipient in 2012, is in her fifth and final year of bachelor of commerce and bachelor of applied science degrees, majoring in marketing and sport and exercise nutrition.
The Team NZ Universities will compete against 19 of the world's top university business case competition teams at the event.
Dr John Guthrie, of the University of Otago, who is chairman of the New Zealand Student Development Society, said this was the first time an international business case competition had invited a national team.
''It's an honour for New Zealand universities to be given this opportunity,'' Dr Guthrie said.
During the week-long visit, the team will compete in two shorter business cases and then a bigger case, the latter potentially being a full two days and nights of intense study.
''You don't know what you will be studying until all the information is given to all the teams,'' Ms Grave said.
Ms Grave's experience includes presentations to 25 chief executives and managing directors of New Zealand's Deloitte Fast 50 growth companies, involvement in the Young Enterprise programme, and a summer internship as an environmental consultant with Ahika Consulting.
She said each team must analyse the same set of company data and information for a business case then come up with recommendations and options for the judges.
''It'll be exciting putting in the hard work and on the international stage,'' Ms Grave said.
Convener of team selectors from Deloitte NZ Hayden Berkers said having four students from four New Zealand universities was an ''exciting model''.
''It's an outstanding opportunity for our students to experience an international event of this status ... they will have exciting networking and competitive experiences,'' he said.
