MARTIN, Tenn. – Five students from the University of Tennessee at Martin presented at the 13th annual Community Banking Research Conference, at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The team earned the opportunity to present in St. Louis by finishing first in the 11th national 2025 CSBS Community Bank Case Study Competition in July.
In addition to the trip to St. Louis, each winning team member received a $1,000 scholarship.
The presentation team included Anna Batte, of Bruceton; Aaron Bartholomew, of Parsons; Blair James, of Milan; Hayden Weber, of Somerville, and Makenzi Reynolds, of Bumpas Mills, who now lives and works in Hawaii. Team advisers were John Clark, interim director of the Horace and Sara Dunagan Chair of Excellence in Banking; Dr. Brittany Cole, assistant professor of finance; Dr. Nell Gullett, professor of finance; and Traci Crawford, administrative support assistant, Dunagan Chair of Excellence in Banking.
For the 2025 Community Bank Case Study Competition, students were required to collaborate with a local bank to examine their branching strategies, how inflation has impacted their business, and how technology factors into their banking strategies. The UT Martin team partnered with Carroll Bank & Trust in Huntingdon, which has several branches across West Tennessee, including branches in Milan, McKenzie and Paris, among others. Team members worked closely with CB&T Officers, including Mike Cary, president and CEO, to conduct their research.
In the 2025 competition, 35 teams from 27 different colleges entered their own findings in the form of a five-minute video that summarizes their key findings and a paper of up to 25 pages that analyzes the case-study findings. After three rounds of judging, the top three teams were awarded scholarships, and their studies were published in the Journal of Community Bank Case Studies. The winning team was then invited to present their findings at the Community Banking Research Conference, which is co-sponsored by CSBS, the Federal Reserve, and the FDIC.
This year, the UT Martin team finished first and became the third team of students from UT Martin to win the competition. In order to secure this win, the students researched branching strategies and the impact of technology and inflation on Carroll Bank & Trust. This research was conducted throughout the 2025 spring semester and provided students ample information about how the bank handles various aspects of business within an ever-evolving world.
“Our main objective was to inform all readers of how a community-based bank operates successfully,” Batte, accounting and finance graduate, said. “We were able to talk to several bankers, marketing strategists, and accounting professionals. Carroll Bank & Trust was great about providing us as many resources as we needed, and it paid off.”
Students also described how important teamwork was to the success of their study. Each student had their own section, but they had to work together to make sure the entire project was cohesive.
“All students were involved in each other’s portion of the paper to ensure that the paper only had one voice,” said Bartholomew, also an accounting and finance graduate.
The students met once a week during the spring semester, during which they discussed their findings and asked for any guidance they needed. Regular communication between the team and staff from Carroll Bank & Trust was also vital to the project’s success.
“The most important research is the connection made between students and the bankers,” said Clark. “When we’ve been successful, it’s because of the bank. … It’s all really the communication that developed between the bank team and the students.”
Students said that their UT Martin courses in accounting and finance provided them with a better understanding of the financial aspects of the study, while the study itself allowed them to learn more about the intricacies and functions of banking. The competition was also impactful to the students’ career goals, giving them experience in and insight into a career in banking while allowing them to build connections that could help them in the future.
“Prior to this competition, I had no interest or knowledge about the banking industry at all,” said Bartholomew. “After this competition, I now have a more well-rounded understanding and appreciation for the profession.”
After winning the competition, the student team traveled to the St. Louis Federal Reserve to present their findings at the two-day-long conference. The students presented an overview of their contributions and their key findings from their study. This was followed by a Q&A segment, which involved Carroll Bank & Trust CEO Mike Cary and Clark. Video recordings of the presentation and Q&A are available on the Community Banking Research Conference YouTube page.
“It was a great experience being able to present at the Federal Reserve,” said Batte.
“All the CSBS personnel were extremely kind and helpful,” Bartholomew also said. “I felt lucky to have had the opportunity to speak in front of professional community bankers and regulators.”
The Community Bank Case Study Competition and the Community Banking Research Conference are important because they help students build awareness and experience in an often-overlooked profession, according to Bartholomew.
“Most people entering the workforce do not properly consider banking as an option for a career choice,” he said. “If more students took the time to research and experience what banking is truly about, then more students and youth would enter into banking.”
“It allows real world experiences to take place,” said Batte, highlighting a major benefit of involvement in a study like this—practical, hands-on experience that can be applied to one’s career.
More information about the competition winners can be found at www.csbs.org. The full case study can be viewed in the online version of the 2025 Journal of Community Bank Case Studies at the same website. ###
Photo– Team members and supporters making the trip to St. Louis were (from left) John Clark, interim director, Horace and Sara Dunagan Chair of Excellence in Banking; Hayden Weber, of Somerville; Traci Crawford, administrative support assistant, Dunagan Chair of Excellence in Banking; Blair James, of Milan; Anna Batte, of Bruceton; Makenzi Reynolds, of Bumpas Mills, who now lives and works in Hawaii; Aaron Bartholomew, of Parsons; and Mike Cary, Carroll Bank & Trust president and CEO. Weber, James, Batte, Reynolds and Bartholomew are all team members.