Catawba College student delegates recently won four first-place awards at the annual State Leadership Conference of the North Carolina State Chapter of Phi Beta Lambda (PBL). Many of the Catawba attendees qualified to compete in the PBL Nationals scheduled in San Antonio, Texas, in June.
The student delegates represented many traditional academic majors and minors, as well as the School of Evening and Graduate Studies. Categories included individual and presentation events in Business Communication, Business Ethics, Business Sustainability, Financial Analysis and Decision Making, Financial Concepts, Forensic Accounting, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Management Concepts, Statistical Analysis and Future Business Executive. A total of 370 students participated from colleges across the state.
Catawba delegates who earned first-place finishes include Blake Pierce, Business Communications and Forensic Accounting; Lukas Helbing, Economic Analysis and Decision Making; and Ryen Reid, Financial Concepts.
Catawba's PBL Chapter received an award for 10 years of participation, while Dr. Pamela Thompson received a 10-year award as a PBL adviser. New co-adviser Karen Gaskill, accounting professor at Catawba, was recognized for her first year of service. Catawba students attended leadership development and other workshops and networked with Catawba College alumnus Rick Gardner, president of the NCPBL Professional Division.
In addition to the first-place finishers, other results from competing Catawba students included:
- Fifth place, Business Ethics, Lukas Helbing
- Third place, Business Sustainability Team of Patience Hunt and Paula Sellers
- Third place, Financial Concepts, Ashley May
- Fifth place, Future Business Executive, Max Bellile
- Fifth place. Management Concepts, Max Bellile
- Fourth place, Microeconomics, Allison Waters
- Second place, Statistical Analysis, Ashley May
"The success of our students at the PBL State Conference is a result of the excellent education that students receive in both general and business education at Catawba,” faculty adviser Thompson said.
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)-PBL is the largest business career student organization in the world with more than 240,000 high school, college and professional division members. FBLA-PBL is recognized by the Association for Career and Technical Education, International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education, National Association of Parliamentarians, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Business Education Association, and the U.S. Department of Education.
Thompson noted that Catawba's PBL members volunteered at the State FBLA Conference for the third year and regularly help with various admissions events and special days for prospective students.
Lukas Helbing '19, PBL President for 2018-2019, called the conference a great opportunity to apply classroom experiences. “I got to network with other chapters and the professional division which will help me with career opportunities in the future,” he said.
Ryen Reid '20, PBL Vice-President for 2018-2019, called networking and building relationships both within the Catawba chapter and with other chapters from different colleges and universities one of the most valuable components of the conference.
