Students in FIU’s chapter of Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL), the largest collegiate business student organization in the world, demonstrated top-level skills at the annual 2017 State Leadership Conference in Orlando.

The College of Business students won 39 awards in the individual, group, and chapter competitions at the conference, held March 16-19 in Orlando. Of the participating students, 18 qualified to compete at the 2017 National Leadership Conference scheduled for June 24-27 in Anaheim, California.

In addition to the individual awards, the FIU chapter was named Florida Chapter of the Year, and is ranked #4 in the nation out of more than 100 chapters. This year, more than thirty higher education institutions from around Florida attended the conference.

FBLA-PBL, one of the student organizations in FIU’s College of Business, helps over 230,000 members prepare for careers in business and business-related fields.

FIU chapter members Albert Amaya and Elizabeth Alvarez were inducted into Who’s Who in Florida PBL, which recognizes members who have made outstanding contributions to the organization at the local, district, state, and national levels. Amaya and Alvarez have both held state and national office for FBLA-PBL.

Amaya, who in 2016 was elected president of PBL, was also presented with the Rob Kelleher Memorial Award, awarded to the outstanding member who best exemplifies the leadership, ideals, and aspirations of Phi Beta Lambda.

Among the College of Business students recognized at the conference, Daniel Weiland received the 2017 Christopher J. Heider Scholarship, and Brian Ceballos was elected Florida PBL’s State Secretary and will work with Florida FBLA-PBL’s Board of Directors.