Stepping outside of their comfort zones paid off in a big way for a team of Poole College of Management students.

A team of undergraduate students (Luke Harris, Harrison Fudnerburk, Nathan Fu, and Mason McClain) earned national recognition after winning the 2026 iOme Challenge, a policy competition that invites students from across the country to develop innovative solutions to strengthen America’s retirement system. Their winning paper, Rebuilding the Three-Legged Stool: A Gen Z Blueprint for American Retirement Security, was selected for its forward-thinking recommendations to modernize retirement security for future generations.

The annual iOme (I OWE ME) Challenge asks students to tackle one of the country’s most pressing financial issues through original policy research. This year’s competition challeneged participatns to imainge they had be appointed by Congress to an Independent Comission on Retirement and tasked with reevaluating the retirement system from the perspective of Generation Z.

For the Poole College team, the competition represented much more than an opportunity to win.

“The 2026 iOme Challenge presented an exciting opportunity for us to step outside of our comfort zones and challenge ourselves through a meaningful project,” said Nathan Fu. “Beyond the opportunity to present in Washington, D.C., and gain public recognition for our work, we were equally motivated by the change to learn more about the American system that impacts all of us.”

Although none of the students had previous experience studying retirement policy, they embraced the challenge by researching the issue from the group up.

“Winning a national competition was something none of us saw coming,” said Luke Harris. “We came into this with little to no background in retirement policy, so developing something from the ground up that could have a meaningful impact on millions of Americans made the recognition incredibly fulfilling. Being able to represent NC State on a national stage made it even more special.” 

Their paper proposed reforms addressing all three pillars of the American retirement system. Social Security, employer-sponsored retirement plans and personal savings. Among the recommendations were a self-correcting Social Security model tied to life expectancy, Universal Portable Retirement Accounts that follow workers throughout their careers, and American Stater Savings Accounts established for every child at birth. The team also recommended expanding financial literacy education and increasing retirement savings opportunities for underserved populations.

The research opened the students’ eyes to the urgency of retirement reform.

“One of the most striking findings was just how imminent the Social Security crisis actually is,” Harris said. “According to the Social Security Administration, the Trust Fund is projected to be depleted by 2033, which would trigger automatic benefit cuts to 20 to 23 percent for every recipient. 

The team met weekly throughout the competition, dividing research responsibilities across the retirement system’s three pillars while collaborating closely to refine their ideas. Harris said one of the biggest breakthroughs came when the team expanded its research beyond the United States.

“The turning point came when my teammate, Fu, suggested we look beyond U.S. borders and examine retirement models already functioning successfully in other democracies,” Harris said. “That shift was pivotal. It grounded our proposals in real-world evidence rather than theory.”

The experience also highlighted the impact of faculty mentorship.

Harris credits faculty members, Reza Estilaei, professor of practice in finance, and Richard Warr, associate dean for faculty and research. “Dr. Reza taught me to think critically and approach problems from angles that aren’t always obvious,” Harris said. “Dr. Warr deserves just as much credit for bringing this opportunity to our club and believing that a group of undergraduate students could produce something meaningful enough to compete at a national level.”

Beyond earning a national title, the competition reinforced the value of applying classroom knowledge to real-wolrd challenges. The team’s success has also inspired its members to continue pursing opportunities beyond the classroom.

“This experience deepened my appreciation for how technical financial knowledge can drive meaningful real-world impact,” Harris said. “It has also energized our club (Investor’s Association at NC State) to pursue more competitions like this one, building on everything we learned together as a team.”