Photo courtesy K-State
Kansas State University’s National Strategic Selling Institute gave Advanced Selling students a hands-on experience through its 13th annual benefit auction. The event served as a real-world sales challenge, allowing students to apply skills developed in class—from building sales pipelines and managing prospects in Salesforce CRM to making live calls and receiving real-time coaching.
Throughout the semester, the university said its students prepared to execute a high-impact fundraiser, which raised over $232,000. Of that, $58,295 was awarded to 55 students based on class performance. The prestigious Ninja Sales Cat Awards, ranging from $500 to $1,500, recognized top students for excellence in professionalism, resilience, and sales execution.
Top honors and awards were presented to the recipients of the Ninja Sales Cat Awards, which recognize the highest-performing students in the Advanced Selling class. This year’s awardees were Halle Hartner of Belleville, Gavin Smith of Derby, Jacqueline Varney of Lansing, Jack Pearson of Overland Park, and Alyssa Ansay of Gainesville, Texas. All are students in the professional strategic selling program. These awards were made possible through generous sponsorship support.
Beyond supporting student scholarships, the auction also raised $16,240 for Coming Together for a Cure, a Wichita-based nonprofit focused on helping those with muscular dystrophy gain access to stem cell therapy. Students left the course with not only technical knowledge but also meaningful personal growth.
