Future business leaders of FIU’s Phi Beta Lambda excel at state conference.

They came, they saw, they conquered!

The Florida International University (FIU) chapter of Future Business Leaders of America–Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) returned to campus with a plethora of honors and achievements following the 2010 FBLA-PBL State Leadership Conference.

“We exceeded all expectations this year,” said chapter president Bruno Cevallos, “including earning the prestigious ‘Chapter of the Year’ award for the second consecutive year.”

Members of FIU’s Future Business Leaders of America–Phi Beta Lambda chapter at the 2010 FBLA-PBL State Leadership Conference during which the organization was named “Chapter of the Year” for the second year running

The group of 35 students, most from the College of Business Administration, attended the conference held March 19-22, 2010 in Tampa, Florida.

FIU participants earned ten first-place awards through written examinations, performance events and other competitions:

Accounting Analysis

Alaina Goindoo

Business Decision Making

Team: Bruno Cevallos and Daniel Fernandez

Digital Video Production

Team: Louis Castillo, Abdel Perera, Saul Perez

Database Design

Saul Perez

Financial Concepts

Bruno Cevallos

Financial Services

Marcos Oyola

Future Business Executive

Jose Betancourt

International Business

Riquet Caballero

Impromptu Speaking

Angelica Navarrete

Public Speaking

Orga Cadet

“The competitive edge that distinguishes our students helped us break barriers at this conference,” Cevallos said.

Outgoing FIU chapter president Jose Betancourt was awarded the Christopher J. Heider Scholarship and elected as the new state president for the 2010-2011 year. Outgoing state president, FIU’s Theodore Mook, received the Rob Kelleher Memorial Award.

Students move on to national competition, state leadership positions.

Members earning top spots at the state conference competitions will represent Florida at the FBLA-PBL National Leadership Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, July 9-12, 2010.

Plus, two projects that placed first at the state level will be presented at the national conference: the Community Service Project, “Tribute to Children” Week, and the Free Enterprise Project, the “FIU Business Olympics.”

Three FIU students were selected for the 2010-2011 PBL Executive Council for Florida. Jose Betancourt will serve as state president, Saul Perez as District V vice president and Emmanuella Casimir as parliamentarian.

Jose Toscano (BA ’97) serves as the advisor of FBLA-PBL at FIU. The organization retains Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), the parallel high school group, in its name so incoming FIU students will recognize the group and to distinguish it from a fraternity.