Bottom: Katarina Perez, Lais Negron, Kevin Carballe, Elizabeth Alvarez, Gedma Estrada
Members of the Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) chapter at Florida International University (FIU) made an impressive showing, including two national first-place finishes, at the PBL National Leadership Conference, June 24-27, 2015, in Chicago, Illinois.
Elizabeth Alvarez was named the national organization’s 2015-16 Parliamentarian, the result of earning the highest score on the parliamentarian procedures exam. Alvarez becomes the third national officer in the FIU chapter’s history. In addition, the team of Alvarez and Lais Negron landed first place in the very competitive Emerging Business Issues event, earning a $1,000 cash prize.
Seven students from the College of Business’ chapter were among 2,000 students attending the event, entitled “Step Up to the Challenge.” Many members of the FIU delegation were recognized at the Awards of Excellence program on the conference’s closing night, including Adrian Peart, who placed fourth in the Macroeconomics competition.
In the Future Business Executive event – the organization’s most prestigious competition — Kevin Carballe, president of the FIU chapter and FBLA’s Florida State president, placed ninth in the nation.
“For many students, the conference’s competitive events which recognize and reward excellence in a broad range of business and career-related areas are the capstone activity of our academic careers,” said Carballe. “The national conference also has students immersed in educational workshops, visiting an information-packed exhibit hall and attending motivational keynotes on a broad range of business topics. This conference presents many excellent opportunities – and a good time.”
Results of national conference show a turn-around for FBLA-PBL.
“Having one of our members achieve a national office and other students placing well in competitions shows how these students are working hard to rebuild FBLA-PBL at FIU,” says chapter advisor Yanyn San Luis (BBA ’10), assistant director, Alumni Relations. “We definitely have strong leadership in this group, with juniors and seniors who came in as freshmen now shaping this chapter for success.”
